Languages Around the World/LanguageWorld.iso/wrldfact/ice_jord.txt

Text File | 1996-01-10 | 155.1 KB | 4,818 lines

@Iceland, Geography

Location:
  Nordic State, Northern Europe, in the North Atlantic Ocean, between
  Greenland and Norway
Map references:
  Arctic Region, Europe, North America, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
  103,000 sq km
land area:
  100,250 sq km
comparative area:
  slightly smaller than Kentucky
Land boundaries:
  0 km
Coastline:
  4,988 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf:
  200 nm or the edge of continental margin
exclusive economic zone:
  200 nm
territorial sea:
  12 nm
International disputes:
  Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Denmark, Ireland, and the
  UK (Ireland and the UK have signed a boundary agreement in the Rockall
  area)
Climate:
  temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy winters;
  damp, cool summers
Terrain:
  mostly plateau interspersed with mountain peaks, icefields; coast
  deeply indented by bays and fiords
Natural resources:
  fish, hydropower, geothermal power, diatomite
Land use:
arable land:
  1%
permanent crops:
  0%
meadows and pastures:
  20%
forest and woodland:
  1%
other:
  78%
Irrigated land:
  NA sq km
Environment:
current issues:
  water pollution from fertilizer runoff; inadequate wastewater
  treatment
natural hazards:
  subject to earthquakes and volcanic activity
international agreements:
  party to - Air Pollution, Climate Change, Law of the Sea, Marine
  Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
  Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Environmental
  Modification, Marine Life Conservation
Note:
  strategic location between Greenland and Europe; westernmost European
  country; more land covered by glaciers than in all of continental
  Europe

@Iceland, People

Population:
  263,599 (July 1994 est.)
note:
  population data estimates based on average growth rate may differ
  slightly from official population data because of volatile migration
  rates
Population growth rate:
  0.9% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
  16.41 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
  6.72 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
  -0.73 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  4 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
  78.83 years
male:
  76.57 years
female:
  81.21 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  2.11 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
  Icelander(s)
adjective:
  Icelandic
Ethnic divisions:
  homogeneous mixture of descendants of Norwegians and Celts
Religions:
  Evangelical Lutheran 96%, other Protestant and Roman Catholic 3%, none
  1% (1988)
Languages:
  Icelandic
Literacy:
  age 15 and over can read and write (1976 est.)
total population:
  100%
male:
  NA%
female:
  NA%
Labor force:
  127,900
by occupation:
  commerce, transportation, and services 60.0%, manufacturing 12.5%,
  fishing and fish processing 11.8%, construction 10.8%, agriculture
  4.0% (1990)

@Iceland, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
  Republic of Iceland
conventional short form:
  Iceland
local long form:
  Lyoveldio Island
local short form:
  Island
Digraph:
  IC
Type:
  republic
Capital:
  Reykjavik
Administrative divisions:
  23 counties (syslar, singular - sysla) and 14 independent towns*
  (kaupstadhir, singular - kaupstadhur); Akranes*, Akureyri*,
  Arnessysla, Austur-Bardhastrandarsysla, Austur-Hunavatnssysla,
  Austur-Skaftafellssysla, Borgarfjardharsysla, Dalasysla,
  Eyjafjardharsysla, Gullbringusysla, Hafnarfjordhur*, Husavik*,
  Isafjordhur*, Keflavik*, Kjosarsysla, Kopavogur*, Myrasysla,
  Neskaupstadhur*, Nordhur-Isafjardharsysla, Nordhur-Mulasys-la,
  Nordhur-Thingeyjarsysla, Olafsfjordhur*, Rangarvallasysla, Reykjavik*,
  Saudharkrokur*, Seydhisfjordhur*, Siglufjordhur*, Skagafjardharsysla,
  Snaefellsnes-og Hnappadalssysla, Strandasysla, Sudhur-Mulasysla,
  Sudhur-Thingeyjarsysla, Vesttmannaeyjar*, Vestur-Bardhastrandarsysla,
  Vestur-Hunavatnssysla, Vestur-Isafjardharsysla,
  Vestur-Skaftafellssysla
Independence:
  17 June 1944 (from Denmark)
National holiday:
  Anniversary of the Establishment of the Republic, 17 June (1944)
Constitution:
  16 June 1944, effective 17 June 1944
Legal system:
  civil law system based on Danish law; does not accept compulsory ICJ
  jurisdiction
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
  President Vigdis FINNBOGADOTTIR (since 1 August 1980); election last
  held on 29 June 1988 (next scheduled for June 1996); results - there
  was no election in 1992 as President Vigdis FINNBOGADOTTIR was
  unopposed
head of government:
  Prime Minister David ODDSSON (since 30 April 1991)
cabinet:
  Cabinet; appointed by the president
Legislative branch:
  unicameral
Parliament (Althing):
  elections last held on 20 April 1991 (next to be held by April 1995);
  results - Independence Party 38.6%, Progressive Party 18.9%, Social
  Democratic Party 15.5%, People's Alliance 14.4%, Womens List 8.3%,
  Liberals 1.2%, other 3.1%; seats - (63 total) Independence 26,
  Progressive 13, Social Democratic 10, People's Alliance 9, Womens List
  5
Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court (Haestirettur)
Political parties and leaders:
  Independence Party (conservative), David ODDSSON; Progressive Party,
  Steingrimur HERMANNSSON; Social Democratic Party, Jon Baldvin
  HANNIBALSSON; People's Alliance (left socialist), Olafur Ragnar
  GRIMSSON; Women's List
Member of:
  Australian Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, EFTA, FAO, GATT,
  IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,
  INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MTCR, NACC, NATO, NC, NEA,
  NIB, OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WEU (associate), WHO, WIPO,
  WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
  Ambassador Einar BENEDIKTSSON
chancery:
  2022 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
  [phone] through 6655
FAX:
  [phone]
consulate(s) general:
  New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
  Ambassador Parker W. BORG
embassy:
  Laufasvegur 21, Box 40, Reykjavik
mailing address:
  US Embassy, PSC 1003, Box 40, Reykjavik; FPO AE 09728-0340
telephone:
  [354] (1) 629100
FAX:
  [354] (1) 629139
Flag:
  blue with a red cross outlined in white that extends to the edges of
  the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side
  in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)

@Iceland, Economy

Overview:
  Iceland's Scandinavian-type economy is basically capitalistic, but
  with an extensive welfare system, relatively low unemployment, and
  comparatively even distribution of income. The economy is heavily
  dependent on the fishing industry, which provides nearly 75% of export
  earnings and employs 12% of the workforce. In the absence of other
  natural resources - except energy - Iceland's economy is vulnerable to
  changing world fish prices. Iceland's economy has been in recession
  since 1988. The recession continued in 1993 due to a third year of
  cutbacks in fishing quotas as well as falling world prices for the
  country's main exports: fish and fish products, aluminum, and
  ferrosilicon. Real GDP declined 3.3% in 1992 and rose slightly, by
  0.4%, in 1993. The center-right government's economic goals include
  reducing the budget and current account deficits, limiting foreign
  borrowing, containing inflation, revising agricultural and fishing
  policies, diversifying the economy, and privatizing state-owned
  industries. The recession has led to a wave of bankruptcies and
  mergers throughout the economy, as well as the highest unemployment of
  the post-World War II period. Inflation, previously a serious problem,
  declined from double digit rates in the 1980s to only 3.7% in 1992-93.
National product:
  GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $4.2 billion (1993)
National product real growth rate:
  0.4% (1993 est.)
National product per capita:
  $16,000 (1993)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  4% (1993)
Unemployment rate:
  4.5% (1993 est.)
Budget:
revenues:
  $1.8 billion
expenditures:
  $1.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $191 million (1992)
Exports:
  $1.5 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities:
  fish and fish products, animal products, aluminum, ferrosilicon,
  diatomite
partners:
  EC 68% (UK 25%, FRG 12%), US 11%, Japan 8% (1992)
Imports:
  $1.5 billion (c.i.f., 1992)
commodities:
  machinery and transportation equipment, petroleum products,
  foodstuffs, textiles
partners:
  EC 53% (Germany 14%, Denmark 10%, UK 9%), Norway 14%, US 9% (1992)
External debt:
  $3.9 billion (1992 est.)
Industrial production:
  growth rate 1.75% (1991 est.)
Electricity:
capacity:
  1,063,000 kW
production:
  5.165 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
  19,940 kWh (1992)
Industries:
  fish processing, aluminum smelting, ferro-silicon production,
  geothermal power
Agriculture:
  accounts for about 15% of GDP; fishing is most important economic
  activity, contributing nearly 75% to export earnings; principal crops
  - potatoes, turnips; livestock - cattle, sheep; self-sufficient in
  crops; fish catch of about 1.1 million metric tons in 1992
Economic aid:
recipient:
  US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-81), $19.1 million
Currency:
  1 Icelandic krona (IKr) = 100 aurar
Exchange rates:
  Icelandic kronur (IKr) per US$1 - 72.971 (January 1994), 67.603
  (1993), 57.546 (1992), 58.996 (1991), 58.284 (1990), 57.042 (1989)
Fiscal year:
  calendar year

@Iceland, Communications

Highways:
total:
  12,537 km
paved:
  2,690 km
unpaved:
  gravel, earth 9,847 km
Ports:
  Reykjavik, Akureyri, Hafnarfjordhur, Keflavik, Seydhisfjordhur,
  Siglufjordhur, Vestmannaeyjar
Merchant marine:
  8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 33,212 GRT/47,359 DWT, cargo 2,
  chemical tanker 1, oil tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 2,
  roll-on/roll-off cargo 2
Airports:
total:
  90
usable:
  84
with permanent-surface runways:
  9
with runways over 3,659 m:
  0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  1
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  12
Telecommunications:
  adequate domestic service; coaxial and fiber-optical cables and
  microwave radio relay for trunk network; 140,000 telephones; broadcast
  stations - 5 AM, 147 (transmitters and repeaters) FM, 202
  (transmitters and repeaters) TV; 2 submarine cables; 1 Atlantic Ocean
  INTELSAT earth station carries all international traffic; a second
  INTELSAT earth station is scheduled to be operational in 1993

@Iceland, Defense Forces

Branches:
  Police, Coast Guard
note:
  no armed forces, Iceland's defense is provided by the US-manned
  Icelandic Defense Force (IDF) headquartered at Keflavik
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 70,074; fit for military service 62,197
Defense expenditures:
  none


@India, Geography

Location:
  Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal,
  between Bangladesh and Pakistan
Map references:
  Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
  3,287,590 km2
land area:
  2,973,190 km2
comparative area:
  slightly more than one-third the size of the US
Land boundaries:
  total 14,103 km, Bangladesh 4,053 km, Bhutan 605 km, Burma 1,463 km,
  China 3,380 km, Nepal 1,690 km, Pakistan 2,912 km
Coastline:
  7,000 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
  24 nm
continental shelf:
  200 nm or the edge of continental margin
exclusive economic zone:
  200 nm
territorial sea:
  12 nm
International disputes:
  boundaries with Bangladesh and China; status of Kashmir with Pakistan;
  water-sharing problems with downstream riparians, Bangladesh over the
  Ganges and Pakistan over the Indus
Climate:
  varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north
Terrain:
  upland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling plain along
  the Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north
Natural resources:
  coal (fourth-largest reserves in the world), iron ore, manganese,
  mica, bauxite, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, diamonds,
  petroleum, limestone
Land use:
arable land:
  55%
permanent crops:
  1%
meadows and pastures:
  4%
forest and woodland:
  23%
other:
  17%
Irrigated land:
  430,390 sq km (1989)
Environment:
current issues:
  deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; desertification; air
  pollution from industrial effluents and vehicle emissions; water
  pollution from raw sewage and runoff of agricultural pesticides; huge
  and rapidly growing population is overstraining natural resources
natural hazards:
  droughts, flash floods, severe thunderstorms common; subject to
  earthquakes (a quake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale occurred near
  Hyderabad killing several thousand people and causing extensive damage
  in late September 1993)
international agreements:
  party to - Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered
  Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test
  Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber,
  Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Antarctic-Environmental
  Protocol, Law of the Sea
Note:
  dominates South Asian subcontinent; near important Indian Ocean trade
  routes

@India, People

Population:
  919,903,056 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
  1.82% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
  28.45 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
  10.29 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  78.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
  58.58 years
male:
  58.09 years
female:
  59.09 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  3.48 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
  Indian(s)
adjective:
  Indian
Ethnic divisions:
  Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, Mongoloid and other 3%
Religions:
  Hindu 80%, Muslim 14%, Christian 2.4%, Sikh 2%, Buddhist 0.7%, Jains
  0.5%, other 0.4%
Languages:
  English enjoys associate status but is the most important language for
  national, political, and commercial communication, Hindi the national
  language and primary tongue of 30% of the people, Bengali (official),
  Telugu (official), Marathi (official), Tamil (official), Urdu
  (official), Gujarati (official), Malayalam (official), Kannada
  (official), Oriya (official), Punjabi (official), Assamese (official),
  Kashmiri (official), Sindhi (official), Sanskrit (official),
  Hindustani a popular variant of Hindu/Urdu, is spoken widely
  throughout northern India
note:
  24 languages each spoken by a million or more persons; numerous other
  languages and dialects, for the most part mutually unintelligible
Literacy:
  age 7 and over can read and write (1991 est.)
total population:
  52.11%
male:
  63.86%
female:
  39.42%
Labor force:
  314.751 million (1990)
by occupation:
  agriculture 65% (1993 est.)

@India, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
  Republic of India
conventional short form:
  India
Digraph:
  IN
Type:
  federal republic
Capital:
  New Delhi
Administrative divisions:
  25 states and 7 union territories*; Andaman and Nicobar Islands*,
  Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh*, Dadra
  and Nagar Haveli*, Daman and Diu*, Delhi*, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana,
  Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep*,
  Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland,
  Orissa, Pondicherry*, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura,
  Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal
Independence:
  15 August 1947 (from UK)
National holiday:
  Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Republic, 26 January (1950)
Constitution:
  26 January 1950
Legal system:
  based on English common law; limited judicial review of legislative
  acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
  President Shankar Dayal SHARMA (since 25 July 1992); Vice President
  Kicheril Raman NARAYANAN (since 21 August 1992)
head of government:
  Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha RAO (since 21 June 1991)
cabinet:
  Council of Ministers; appointed by the president on recommendation of
  the prime minister
Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament (Sansad)
Council of States (Rajya Sabha):
  body consisting of not more than 250 members, up to 12 appointed by
  the president, the remainder chosen by the elected members of the
  state and territorial assemblies
People's Assembly (Lok Sabha):
  elections last held 21 May, 12 and 15 June 1991 (next to be held by
  November 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (545
  total, 543 elected, 2 appointed) Congress (I) Party 245, Bharatiya
  Janata Party 119, Janata Dal Party 39, Janata Dal (Ajit Singh) 20,
  CPI/M 35, CPI 14, Telugu Desam 13, AIADMK 11, Samajwadi Janata Party
  5, Shiv Sena 4, RSP 4, BSP 1, Congress (S) Party 1, other 23, vacant 9
Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
  Congress (I) Party, P. V. Narasimha RAO, president; Bharatiya Janata
  Party (BJP), L.K. ADVANI; Janata Dal Party, Chandra SHEKHAR; Janata
  Dal (Ajit Singh), Ajit SINGH; Communist Party of India/Marxist
  (CPI/M), Harkishan Singh SURJEET; Communist Party of India (CPI),
  Indrajit GUPTA; Telugu Desam (a regional party in Andhra Pradesh), N.
  T. Rama RAO; All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazagham (AIADMK; a
  regional party in Tamil Nadu), Jayaram JAYALALITHA; Samajwadi Party
  (SP, formerly Samajwadi Janata Party), Mulayam Singh YADAV
  (President), Om Prakash CHAUTALA, Devi LAL; Shiv Sena, Bal THACKERAY;
  Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), Tridip CHOWDHURY; Bahujana Samaj
  Party (BSP), Kanshi RAM; Congress (S) Party, leader NA; Communist
  Party of India/Marxist-Leninist (CPI/ML), Vinod MISHRA; Dravida
  Munnetra Kazagham (a regional party in Tamil Nadu), M. KARUNANIDHI;
  Akali Dal factions representing Sikh religious community in the
  Punjab; National Conference (NC; a regional party in Jammu and
  Kashmir), Farooq ABDULLAH
Other political or pressure groups:
  various separatist groups seeking greater communal and/or regional
  autonomy; numerous religious or militant/chauvinistic organizations,
  including Adam Sena, Ananda Marg, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, and Rashtriya
  Swayamsevak Sangh
Member of:
  AG (observer), AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-6, G-15, G-19, AfDB,
  G-24, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO,
  IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU,
  LORCS, NAM, OAS (observer), ONUSAL, PCA, SAARC, UN, UNAVEM II, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNOMOZ, UNOSOM, UNPROFOR, UNTAC, UPU, WFTU,
  WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
  Ambassador Siddhartha Shankar RAY
chancery:
  2107 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
  [phone]
consulate(s) general:
  Chicago, New York, and San Francisco
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
  Ambassador-designate Frank WISNER
embassy:
  Shanti Path, Chanakyapuri 110021, New Delhi
mailing address:
  use embassy street address
telephone:
  [91] (11) 600651
FAX:
  [91] (11) 687-2028
consulate(s) general:
  Bombay, Calcutta, Madras
Flag:
  three equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and green with a
  blue chakra (24-spoked wheel) centered in the white band; similar to
  the flag of Niger, which has a small orange disk centered in the white
  band

@India, Economy

Overview:
  India's economy is a mixture of traditional village farming, modern
  agriculture, handicrafts, a wide range of modern industries, and a
  multitude of support services. Faster economic growth in the 1980s
  permitted a significant increase in real per capita private
  consumption. A large share of the population, perhaps as much as 40%,
  remains too poor to afford an adequate diet. Financial strains in 1990
  and 1991 prompted government austerity measures that slowed industrial
  growth but permitted India to meet its international payment
  obligations without rescheduling its debt. Policy reforms since 1991
  have extended earlier economic liberalization and greatly reduced
  government controls on production, trade, and investment. US and other
  foreign firms are increasing their investment in India. In January
  1994, international financial reserves were comfortably high.
National product:
  GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $1.17 trillion (FY94 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  3.8% (FY94 est.)
National product per capita:
  $1,300 (FY94 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  8% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate:
  NA%
Budget:
revenues:
  $29.6 billion
expenditures:
  $45.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $11.2 billion (FY93)
Exports:
  $21.4 billion (f.o.b., 1993)
commodities:
  gems and jewelry, clothing, engineering goods, chemicals, leather
  manufactures, cotton yarn, and fabric
partners:
  US 18.9%, Germany 7.8%, Italy 7.8%, (FY93)
Imports:
  $22 billion (c.i.f., 1993)
commodities:
  crude oil and petroleum products, gems, fertilizer, chemicals,
  machinery
partners:
  US 9.8%, Belgium 8.4%, Germany 7.6% (FY93)
External debt:
  $90.1 billion (March 1993)
Industrial production:
  growth rate 2% (1993 est.); accounts for about 25% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
  82,000,000 kW
production:
  310 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
  340 kWh (1992)
Industries:
  textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation equipment,
  cement, mining, petroleum, machinery
Agriculture:
  accounts for about 40% of GDP and employs 65% of labor force;
  principal crops - rice, wheat, oilseeds, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane,
  potatoes; livestock - cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats, poultry; fish
  catch of about 3 million metric tons ranks India among the world's top
  10 fishing nations
Illicit drugs:
  licit producer of opium poppy for the pharmaceutical trade, but some
  opium is diverted to illicit international drug markets; major transit
  country for illicit narcotics produced in neighboring countries;
  illicit producer of hashish; minor production of illicit opium
Economic aid:
recipient:
  US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $4.4 billion; Western
  (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-89), $31.7
  billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $315 million; USSR (1970-89),
  $11.6 billion; Eastern Europe (1970-89), $105 million
Currency:
  1 Indian rupee (Re) = 100 paise
Exchange rates:
  Indian rupees (Rs) per US$1 - 31.370 (January 1994), 30.493 (1993),
  25.918 (1992), 22.742 (1991), 17.504 (1990), 16.226 (1989)
Fiscal year:
  1 April - 31 March

@India, Communications

Railroads:
  61,850 km total (1986); 33,553 km 1.676-meter broad gauge, 24,051 km
  1.000-meter gauge, 4,246 km narrow gauge (0.762 meter and 0.610
  meter); 12,617 km is double track; 6,500 km is electrified
Highways:
total:
  1.97 million km
paved:
  960,000 km
unpaved:
  gravel, crushed stone, earth 1.01 million km (1989)
Inland waterways:
  16,180 km; 3,631 km navigable by large vessels
Pipelines:
  crude oil 3,497 km; petroleum products 1,703 km; natural gas 902 km
  (1989)
Ports:
  Bombay, Calcutta, Cochin, Kandla, Madras, New Mangalore, Port Blair
  (Andaman Islands)
Merchant marine:
  297 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,236,902 GRT/10,369,948 DWT,
  bulk 111, cargo 81, chemical tanker 9, combination bulk 2, combination
  ore/oil 7, container 7, liquefied gas 6, oil tanker 66,
  passenger-cargo 6, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1, short-sea passenger 1
Airports:
total:
  337
usable:
  288
with permanent-surface runways:
  208
with runways over 3,659 m:
  2
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  59
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  92
Telecommunications:
  domestic telephone system is poor providing only one telephone for
  about 200 persons on average; long distance telephoning has been
  improved by a domestic satellite system which also carries TV;
  international service is provided by 3 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth
  stations and by submarine cables to Malaysia and the United Arab
  Emirates; broadcast stations - 96 AM, 4 FM, 274 TV (government
  controlled)

@India, Defense Forces

Branches:
  Army, Navy, Air Force, Security or Paramilitary Forces (including
  Border Security Force, Assam Rifles, and Coast Guard)
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 247,948,906; fit for military service 145,881,705;
  reach military age (17) annually 9,408,586 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $6.0 billion, 2.4% of GDP (FY93/94)


@Indian Ocean, Geography

Location:
  body of water between Africa, Asia, Australia, and Antarctica
Map references:
  Southeast Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
  73.6 million sq km
comparative area:
  slightly less than eight times the size of the US; third-largest ocean
  (after the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean, but larger than the
  Arctic Ocean)
note:
  includes Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Strait of
  Malacca, Great Australian Bight, Gulf of Oman, Mozambique Channel, and
  other tributary water bodies
Coastline:
  66,526 km
International disputes:
  some maritime disputes (see littoral states)
Climate:
  northeast monsoon (December to April), southwest monsoon (June to
  October); tropical cyclones occur during May/June and October/November
  in the north Indian Ocean and January/February in the south Indian
  Ocean
Terrain:
  surface dominated by counterclockwise gyre (broad, circular system of
  currents) in the south Indian Ocean; unique reversal of surface
  currents in the north Indian Ocean, low atmospheric pressure over
  southwest Asia from hot, rising, summer air results in the southwest
  monsoon and southwest-to-northeast winds and currents, while high
  pressure over northern Asia from cold, falling, winter air results in
  the northeast monsoon and northeast-to-southwest winds and currents;
  ocean floor is dominated by the Mid-Indian Ocean Ridge and subdivided
  by the Southeast Indian Ocean Ridge, Southwest Indian Ocean Ridge, and
  Ninety East Ridge; maximum depth is 7,258 meters in the Java Trench
Natural resources:
  oil and gas fields, fish, shrimp, sand and gravel aggregates, placer
  deposits, polymetallic nodules
Environment:
current issues:
  endangered marine species include the dugong, seals, turtles, and
  whales; oil pollution in the Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf, and Red Sea
natural hazards:
  NA
international agreements:
  NA
Note:
  major chokepoints include Bab el Mandeb, Strait of Hormuz, Strait of
  Malacca, southern access to the Suez Canal, and the Lombok Strait;
  ships subject to superstructure icing in extreme south near Antarctica
  from May to October

@Indian Ocean, Government

Digraph:
  XO

@Indian Ocean, Economy

Overview:
  The Indian Ocean provides major sea routes connecting the Middle East,
  Africa, and East Asia with Europe and the Americas. It carries a
  particularly heavy traffic of petroleum and petroleum products from
  the oil fields of the Persian Gulf and Indonesia. Its fish are of
  great and growing importance to the bordering countries for domestic
  consumption and export. Fishing fleets from Russia, Japan, Korea, and
  Taiwan also exploit the Indian Ocean, mainly for shrimp and tuna.
  Large reserves of hydrocarbons are being tapped in the offshore areas
  of Saudi Arabia, Iran, India, and Western Australia. An estimated 40%
  of the world's offshore oil production comes from the Indian Ocean.
  Beach sands rich in heavy minerals and offshore placer deposits are
  actively exploited by bordering countries, particularly India, South
  Africa, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
Industries:
  based on exploitation of natural resources, particularly fish,
  minerals, oil and gas, fishing, sand and gravel

@Indian Ocean, Communications

Ports:
  Bombay (India), Calcutta (India), Madras (India), Colombo (Sri Lanka),
  Durban (South Africa), Fremantle (Australia), Jakarta (Indonesia),
  Melbourne (Australia), Richards Bay (South Africa)
Telecommunications:
  submarine cables from India to United Arab Emirates and Malaysia, and
  from Sri Lanka to Djibouti and Indonesia


@Indonesia, Geography

Location:
  Southeastern Asia, between Malaysia and Australia
Map references:
  Oceania, Southeast Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
  1,919,440 sq km
land area:
  1,826,440 sq km
comparative area:
  slightly less than three times the size of Texas
Land boundaries:
  total 2,602 km, Malaysia 1,782 km, Papua New Guinea 820 km
Coastline:
  54,716 km
Maritime claims:
  measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
exclusive economic zone:
  200 nm
territorial sea:
  12 nm
International disputes:
  sovereignty over Timor Timur (East Timor Province) disputed with
  Portugal and not recognized by the UN; two islands in dispute with
  Malaysia
Climate:
  tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands
Terrain:
  mostly coastal lowlands; larger islands have interior mountains
Natural resources:
  petroleum, tin, natural gas, nickel, timber, bauxite, copper, fertile
  soils, coal, gold, silver
Land use:
arable land:
  8%
permanent crops:
  3%
meadows and pastures:
  7%
forest and woodland:
  67%
other:
  15%
Irrigated land:
  75,500 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
  deforestation; water pollution from industrial wastes, sewage; air
  pollution in urban areas
natural hazards:
  occasional floods, severe droughts, and tsunamis
international agreements:
  party to - Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea,
  Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical
  Timber; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
  Marine Life Conservation
Note:
  archipelago of 13,500 islands (6,000 inhabited); straddles Equator;
  strategic location astride or along major sea lanes from Indian Ocean
  to Pacific Ocean

@Indonesia, People

Population:
  200,409,741 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
  1.59% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
  24.45 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
  8.6 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  67.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
  60.74 years
male:
  58.7 years
female:
  62.88 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  2.8 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
  Indonesian(s)
adjective:
  Indonesian
Ethnic divisions:
  Javanese 45%, Sundanese 14%, Madurese 7.5%, coastal Malays 7.5%, other
  26%
Religions:
  Muslim 87%, Protestant 6%, Roman Catholic 3%, Hindu 2%, Buddhist 1%,
  other 1% (1985)
Languages:
  Bahasa Indonesia (modified form of Malay; official), English, Dutch,
  local dialects the most widely spoken of which is Javanese
Literacy:
  age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population:
  77%
male:
  84%
female:
  68%
Labor force:
  67 million
by occupation:
  agriculture 55%, manufacturing 10%, construction 4%, transport and
  communications 3% (1985 est.)

@Indonesia, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
  Republic of Indonesia
conventional short form:
  Indonesia
local long form:
  Republik Indonesia
local short form:
  Indonesia
former name:
  Netherlands East Indies; Dutch East Indies
Digraph:
  ID
Type:
  republic
Capital:
  Jakarta
Administrative divisions:
  24 provinces (propinsi-propinsi, singular - propinsi), 2 special
  regions* (daerah-daerah istimewa, singular - daerah istimewa), and 1
  special capital city district** (daerah khusus ibukota); Aceh*, Bali,
  Bengkulu, Irian Jaya, Jakarta Raya**, Jambi, Jawa Barat, Jawa Tengah,
  Jawa Timur, Kalimantan Barat, Kalimantan Selatan, Kalimantan Tengah,
  Kalimantan Timur, Lampung, Maluku, Nusa Tenggara Barat, Nusa Tenggara
  Timur, Riau, Sulawesi Selatan, Sulawesi Tengah, Sulawesi Tenggara,
  Sulawesi Utara, Sumatera Barat, Sumatera Selatan, Sumatera Utara,
  Timor Timur, Yogyakarta*
Independence:
  17 August 1945 (proclaimed independence; on 27 December 1949,
  Indonesia became legally independent from the Netherlands)
National holiday:
  Independence Day, 17 August (1945)
Constitution:
  August 1945, abrogated by Federal Constitution of 1949 and Provisional
  Constitution of 1950, restored 5 July 1959
Legal system:
  based on Roman-Dutch law, substantially modified by indigenous
  concepts and by new criminal procedures code; has not accepted
  compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
  17 years of age; universal and married persons regardless of age
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government:
  President Gen. (Ret.) SOEHARTO (since 27 March 1968); Vice President
  Gen. (Ret.) Try SUTRISNO (since 11 March 1993)
cabinet:
  Cabinet
Legislative branch:
  unicameral
House of Representatives:
  (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat or DPR) elections last held on 8 June 1992
  (next to be held NA 1997); results - GOLKAR 68%, PPP 17%, PDI 15%;
  seats - (500 total, 400 elected, 100 military representatives
  appointed) GOLKAR 282, PPP 62, PDI 56
note:
  the People's Consultative Assembly (Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat or
  MPR) includes the DPR plus 500 indirectly elected members who meet
  every five years to elect the president and vice president and,
  theoretically, to determine national policy
Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court (Mahkamah Agung)
Political parties and leaders:
  GOLKAR (quasi-official party based on functional groups), Lt. Gen.
  (Ret.) HARMOKO, general chairman; Indonesia Democracy Party (PDI -
  federation of former Nationalist and Christian Parties), Megawati
  SUKARNOPUTRI, chairman; Development Unity Party (PPP, federation of
  former Islamic parties), Ismail Hasan METAREUM, chairman
Member of:
  APEC, AsDB, ASEAN, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-77, GATT, IAEA,
  IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,
  INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OIC,
  OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNOSOM, UNTAC, UPU, WCL,
  WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
  Ambassador Arifin SIREGAR
chancery:
  2020 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone:
  [phone]
FAX:
  [phone]
consulate(s) general:
  Chicago, Houston, New York, and Los Angeles
consulate(s):
  San Francisco
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
  Ambassador Robert L. BARRY
embassy:
  Medan Merdeka Selatan 5, Box 1, Jakarta
mailing address:
  APO AP 96520
telephone:
  [62] (21) 360-360
FAX:
  [62] (21) 386-2259
consulate(s):
  Medan, Surabaya
Flag:
  two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; similar to the flag
  of Monaco, which is shorter; also similar to the flag of Poland, which
  is white (top) and red

@Indonesia, Economy

Overview:
  Indonesia is a mixed economy with some socialist institutions and
  central planning but with a recent emphasis on deregulation and
  private enterprise. Indonesia has extensive natural wealth, yet, with
  a large and rapidly increasing population, it remains a poor country.
  Real GDP growth in 1985-93 averaged about 6%, quite impressive, but
  not sufficient to both slash underemployment and absorb the 2.3
  million workers annually entering the labor force. Agriculture,
  including forestry and fishing, is an important sector, accounting for
  21% of GDP and over 50% of the labor force. The staple crop is rice.
  Once the world's largest rice importer, Indonesia is now nearly
  self-sufficient. Plantation crops - rubber and palm oil - and textiles
  and plywood are being encouraged for both export and job generation.
  Industrial output now accounts for almost 40% of GDP and is based on a
  supply of diverse natural resources, including crude oil, natural gas,
  timber, metals, and coal. Foreign investment has also boosted
  manufacturing output and exports in recent years. Indeed, the
  economy's growth is highly dependent on the continuing expansion of
  nonoil exports. Japan remains Indonesia's most important customer and
  supplier of aid. Rapid growth in the money supply in 1989-90 prompted
  Jakarta to implement a tight monetary policy in 1991, forcing the
  private sector to go to foreign banks for investment financing. Real
  interest rates remained above 10% and off-shore commercial debt grew.
  The growth in off-shore debt prompted Jakarta to limit foreign
  borrowing beginning in late 1991. Despite the continued problems in
  moving toward a more open financial system and the persistence of a
  fairly tight credit situation, GDP growth in 1992 and 1993 has matched
  the government target of 6%-7% annual growth.
National product:
  GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $571 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  6.5% (1993 est.)
National product per capita:
  $2,900 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  10% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate:
  3% official rate; underemployment 45% (1993 est.)
Budget:
revenues:
  $32.8 billion
expenditures:
  $32.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $12.9 billion (FY95)
Exports:
  $38.2 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities:
  petroleum and gas 28%, clothing and fabrics 15%, plywood 11%, footwear
  4% (1992)
partners:
  Japan 32%, US 13%, Singapore 9%, South Korea 6% (1992)
Imports:
  $28.3 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities:
  machinery 37%, semi-finished goods 16%, chemicals 14%, raw materials
  10%, transport equipment 7%, food stuffs 6%, petroleum products 4%,
  consumer goods 3% (1992)
partners:
  Japan 22%, US 14%, Germany 8%, South Korea 7%, Singapore 6%, Australia
  5%, Taiwan 5% (1992)
External debt:
  $100 billion (1994 est.)
Industrial production:
  growth rate 11.6% (1989 est.); accounts 35% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
  11,600,000 kW
production:
  38 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
  200 kWh (1990)
Industries:
  petroleum and natural gas, textiles, mining, cement, chemical
  fertilizers, plywood, food, rubber
Agriculture:
  accounts for 21% of GDP; subsistence food production; small-holder and
  plantation production for export; main products are rice, cassava,
  peanuts, rubber, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, copra, other tropical
  products, poultry, beef, pork, eggs
Illicit drugs:
  illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade, but not
  a major player; government actively eradicating plantings and
  prosecuting traffickers
Economic aid:
recipient:
  US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $4.4 billion; Western
  (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $25.9
  billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $213 million; Communist
  countries (1970-89), $175 million
Currency:
  1 Indonesian rupiah (Rp) = 100 sen (sen no longer used)
Exchange rates:
  Indonesian rupiahs (Rp) per US$1 - 2,116.9 (January 1994), 2,087.1
  (1993), 2,029.9 (1992), 1,950.3 (1991), 1,842.8 (1990), 1,770.1 (1989)
Fiscal year:
  1 April - 31 March

@Indonesia, Communications

Railroads:
  6,964 km total; 6,389 km 1.067-meter gauge, 497 km 0.750-meter gauge,
  78 km 0.600-meter gauge; 211 km double track; 101 km electrified; all
  government owned
Highways:
total:
  119,500 km
paved:
  NA
unpaved:
  NA
undifferentiated:
  provincial 34,180 km; district 73,508 km; state 11,812 km
Inland waterways:
  21,579 km total; Sumatra 5,471 km, Java and Madura 820 km, Kalimantan
  10,460 km, Sulawesi 241 km, Irian Jaya 4,587 km
Pipelines:
  crude oil 2,505 km; petroleum products 456 km; natural gas 1,703 km
  (1989)
Ports:
  Cilacap, Cirebon, Jakarta, Kupang, Palembang, Ujungpandang, Semarang,
  Surabaya
Merchant marine:
  430 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,893,830 GRT/2,768,294 DWT,
  bulk 26, cargo 256, chemical tanker 7, container 11, liquefied gas 6,
  livestock carrier 1, oil tanker 83, passenger 4, passenger-cargo 13,
  roll-on/roll-off cargo 5, short-sea passenger 7, specialized tanker 7,
  vehicle carrier 4
Airports:
total:
  444
usable:
  414
with permanent-surface runways:
  122
with runways over 3,659 m:
  1
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  11
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  68
Telecommunications:
  interisland microwave system and HF police net; domestic service fair,
  international service good; radiobroadcast coverage good; 763,000
  telephones (1986); broadcast stations - 618 AM, 38 FM, 9 TV; satellite
  earth stations - 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station and 1 Pacific
  Ocean INTELSAT earth station; and 1 domestic satellite communications
  system

@Indonesia, Defense Forces

Branches:
  Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 54,518,490; fit for military service 32,175,853; reach
  military age (18) annually 2,201,295 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $2.1 billion, 1.5% of GNP (FY93/94 est.)


@Iran, Geography

Location:
  Middle East, between the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea
Map references:
  Asia, Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
  1.648 million sq km
land area:
  1.636 million sq km
comparative area:
  slightly larger than Alaska
Land boundaries:
  total 5,440 km, Afghanistan 936 km, Armenia 35 km, Azerbaijan (north)
  432 km, Azerbaijan (northwest) 179 km, Iraq 1,458 km, Pakistan 909 km,
  Turkey 499 km, Turkmenistan 992 km
Coastline:
  2,440 km
note:
  Iran also borders the Caspian Sea (740 km)
Maritime claims:
continental shelf:
  not specified
exclusive fishing zone:
  50 nm in the Gulf of Oman; continental shelf limit, continental shelf
  boundaries, or median lines in the Persian Gulf
territorial sea:
  12 nm
International disputes:
  Iran and Iraq restored diplomatic relations in 1990 but are still
  trying to work out written agreements settling outstanding disputes
  from their eight-year war concerning border demarcation,
  prisoners-of-war, and freedom of navigation and sovereignty over the
  Shatt al Arab waterway; Iran occupies two islands in the Persian Gulf
  claimed by the UAE: Tunb as Sughra (Arabic), Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Kuchek
  (Persian) or Lesser Tunb, and Tunb al Kubra (Arabic), Jazireh-ye
  Tonb-e Bozorg (Persian) or Greater Tunb; it jointly administers with
  the UAE an island in the Persian Gulf claimed by the UAE, Abu Musa
  (Arabic) or Jazireh-ye Abu Musa (Persian); in 1992 the dispute over
  Abu Musa and the Tunb islands became more acute when Iran unilaterally
  tried to control the entry of third country nationals into the UAE
  portion of Abu Musa island, Tehran subsequently backed off in the face
  of significant diplomatic support for the UAE in the region; periodic
  disputes with Afghanistan over Helmand water rights
Climate:
  mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast
Terrain:
  rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts, mountains;
  small, discontinuous plains along both coasts
Natural resources:
  petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead,
  manganese, zinc, sulfur
Land use:
arable land:
  8%
permanent crops:
  0%
meadows and pastures:
  27%
forest and woodland:
  11%
other:
  54%
Irrigated land:
  57,500 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
  air pollution, especially in urban areas, from vehicle emissions,
  refinery operations, and industry; deforestation; overgrazing;
  desertification; oil pollution in the Persian Gulf; shortages of
  drinking water
natural hazards:
  periodic droughts
international agreements:
  party to - Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban,
  Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified -
  Biodiversity, Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Law of the
  Sea, Marine Life Conservation

@Iran, People

Population:
  65,615,474 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
  3.46% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
  42.43 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
  7.83 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  60.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
  65.66 years
male:
  64.7 years
female:
  66.68 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  6.33 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
  Iranian(s)
adjective:
  Iranian
Ethnic divisions:
  Persian 51%, Azerbaijani 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab
  3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1%
Religions:
  Shi'a Muslim 95%, Sunni Muslim 4%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and
  Baha'i 1%
Languages:
  Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%,
  Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Baloch 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2%
Literacy:
  age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population:
  54%
male:
  64%
female:
  43%
Labor force:
  15.4 million
by occupation:
  agriculture 33%, manufacturing 21%
note:
  shortage of skilled labor (1988 est.)

@Iran, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
  Islamic Republic of Iran
conventional short form:
  Iran
local long form:
  Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran
local short form:
  Iran
Digraph:
  IR
Type:
  theocratic republic
Capital:
  Tehran
Administrative divisions:
  24 provinces (ostanha, singular - ostan); Azarbayjan-e Bakhtari,
  Azarbayjan-e Khavari, Bakhtaran, Bushehr, Chahar Mahall va Bakhtiari,
  Esfahan, Fars, Gilan, Hamadan, Hormozgan, Ilam, Kerman, Khorasan,
  Khuzestan, Kohkiluyeh va Buyer Ahmadi, Kordestan, Lorestan, Markazi,
  Mazandaran, Semnan, Sistan va Baluchestan, Tehran, Yazd, Zanjan
Independence:
  1 April 1979 (Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed)
National holiday:
  Islamic Republic Day, 1 April (1979)
Constitution:
  2-3 December 1979; revised 1989 to expand powers of the presidency and
  eliminate the prime ministership
Legal system:
  the Constitution codifies Islamic principles of government
Suffrage:
  15 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
supreme leader and functional chief of state:
  Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Hoseini-KHAMENEI (since
  4 June 1989); supreme leader (velayat-e faqih)
head of government:
  President Ali Akbar Hashemi-RAFSANJANI (since 3 August 1989); election
  last held June 1993 (next to be held June-July 1997); results - Ali
  Akbar HASHEMI-RAFSANJANI was elected with 63% of the vote
cabinet:
  Council of Ministers; selected by the president with legislative
  approval
Legislative branch:
  unicameral
Islamic Consultative Assembly:
  (Majles-e-Shura-ye-Eslami) elections last held 8 April 1992 (next to
  be held April 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats -
  (270 seats total) number of seats by party NA
Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
  there are at least 76 licensed parties; the three most important are -
  Tehran Militant Clergy Association, Mohammad Reza MAHDAVI-KANI;
  Militant Clerics Association, Mehdi MAHDAVI-KARUBI and Mohammad Asqar
  MUSAVI-KHOINIHA; Fedaiyin Islam Organization, Sadeq KHALKHALI
Other political or pressure groups:
  groups that generally support the Islamic Republic include Hizballah,
  Hojjatiyeh Society, Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution, Muslim
  Students Following the Line of the Imam; armed political groups that
  have been almost completely repressed by the government include
  Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK), People's Fedayeen, Kurdish
  Democratic Party; the Society for the Defense of Freedom
Member of:
  CCC, CP, ESCAP, ECO, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
  IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC,
  ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OIC, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
  UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
  Iran has an Interests Section in the Pakistani Embassy in Washington,
  DC
chancery:
  Iranian Interests Section, 2209 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC
  20007
telephone:
  [phone]
US diplomatic representation:
  protecting power in Iran is Switzerland
Flag:
  three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red; the
  national emblem (a stylized representation of the word Allah) in red
  is centered in the white band; Allah Alkbar (God is Great) in white
  Arabic script is repeated 11 times along the bottom edge of the green
  band and 11 times along the top edge of the red band

@Iran, Economy

Overview:
  Iran's economy is a mixture of central planning, state ownership of
  oil and other large enterprises, village agriculture, and small-scale
  private trading and service ventures. Over the past several years, the
  government has introduced several measures to liberalize the economy
  and reduce government intervention, but most of these changes have
  moved slowly because of political opposition. Iran has faced
  increasingly severe financial difficulties in 1992-93 due to an import
  surge since 1989 and general financial mismanagement. At yearend 1993
  the Iranian Government estimated that it owed foreign creditors about
  $30 billion; an estimated $8 billion of this debt was in arrears.
  Earnings from oil exports--which provide over 90% of Iran's export
  revenues--are providing less relief to Iran than usual because of
  declining oil prices. Estimated overall growth was a robust 6.3% in
  1992 and a moderate 3% in 1993.
National product:
  GNP - purchasing power equivalent - $303 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  3% (1993 est.)
National product per capita:
  $4,780 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  30% (September 1992-September 1993)
Unemployment rate:
  30% (1991 est.)
Budget:
revenues:
  $NA
expenditures:
  $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exports:
  $15.5 billion (f.o.b., FY92 est.)
commodities:
  petroleum 90%, carpets, fruits, nuts, hides
partners:
  Japan, Italy, France, Netherlands, Belgium/Luxembourg, Spain, and
  Germany
Imports:
  $23.7 billion (c.i.f., FY92 est.)
commodities:
  machinery, military supplies, metal works, foodstuffs,
  pharmaceuticals, technical services, refined oil products
partners:
  Germany, Japan, Italy, UK, France
External debt:
  $30 billion (December 1993)
Industrial production:
  growth rate 3% (1993 est.); accounts for almost 30% of GDP, including
  petroleum
Electricity:
capacity:
  15,649,000 kW
production:
  43.6 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
  710 kWh (1992)
Industries:
  petroleum, petrochemicals, textiles, cement and other building
  materials, food processing (particularly sugar refining and vegetable
  oil production), metal fabricating
Agriculture:
  accounts for about 20% of GDP; principal products - wheat, rice, other
  grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton, dairy products, wool,
  caviar; not self-sufficient in food
Illicit drugs:
  illicit producer of opium poppy for the domestic and international
  drug trade; net opiate importer but also a key transshipment point for
  Southwest Asian heroin to Europe
Economic aid:
recipient:
  US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-80), $1 billion; Western
  (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89),
  $1.675 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $976 million
note:
  aid fell sharply following the 1979 revolution
Currency:
  1 Iranian rial (IR) = 10 tomans
Exchange rates:
  Iranian rials (IR) per US$1 - 1,748.86 (January 1994), 1,267.77
  (1993), 65.552 (1992), 67.505 (1991); note - in March 1993 the Iranian
  government announced a new single-parity exchange rate system with a
  new official rate of 1,538 rials per dollar; there is also a black
  market rate of 2200 rials per US$1 (December 1993)
Fiscal year:
  21 March - 20 March

@Iran, Communications

Railroads:
  4,852 km total; 4,760 km 1.432-meter gauge, 92 km 1.676-meter gauge;
  480 km under construction from Bafq to Bandar-e 'Abbas, rail
  construction from Bafq to Sirjan has been completed and is
  operational; section from Sirjan to Bandar-e 'Abbas still under
  construction
Highways:
total:
  140,200 km
paved:
  42,694 km
unpaved:
  gravel, crushed stone 46,866 km; improved earth 49,440 km; unimproved
  earth 1,200 km
Inland waterways:
  904 km; the Shatt al Arab is usually navigable by maritime traffic for
  about 130 km; channel has been dredged to 3 meters and is in use
Pipelines:
  crude oil 5,900 km; petroleum products 3,900 km; natural gas 4,550 km
Ports:
  Abadan (largely destroyed in fighting during 1980-88 war), Bandar
  Beheshti, Bandar-e 'Abbas, Bandar-e Bushehr, Bandar-e Khomeyni,
  Bandar-e Torkeman (Caspian Sea port), Khorramshahr (repaired after
  being largely destroyed in fighting during 1980-88 war) has been in
  limited operation since November 1992
Merchant marine:
  139 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,480,000 GRT/8,332,667 DWT,
  bulk 48, cargo 41, chemical tanker 4, combination bulk 2, liquefied
  gas 1, oil tanker 31, refrigerated cargo 3, roll-on/roll-off cargo 8,
  short-sea passenger 1
Airports:
total:
  219
usable:
  193
with permanent-surface runways:
  80
with runways over 3,659 m:
  17
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  18
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  70
Telecommunications:
  microwave radio relay extends throughout country; system centered in
  Tehran; 2,143,000 telephones (35 telephones per 1,000 persons);
  broadcast stations - 77 AM, 3 FM, 28 TV; satellite earth stations - 2
  Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT; HF radio and
  microwave radio relay to Turkey, Pakistan, Syria, Kuwait, Tajikistan,
  and Uzbekistan; submarine fiber optic cable to UAE

@Iran, Defense Forces

Branches:
  Islamic Republic of Iran Ground Forces, Navy, Air and Air Defense
  Force, Revolutionary Guards (including Basij militia and own ground,
  air, and naval forces), Law Enforcement Forces
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 14,382,216; fit for military service 8,555,760; reach
  military age (21) annually 600,630 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
  according to official Iranian data, Iran spent 1,785 billion rials,
  including $808 million in hard currency in 1992 and budgeted 2,507
  billion rials, including $850 million in hard currency for 1993 (est.)
note:
  conversion of rial expenditures into US dollars using the prevailing
  exchange rate could produce misleading results


@Iraq, Geography

Location:
  Middle East, between Iran and Saudi Arabia
Map references:
  Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
  437,072 sq km
land area:
  432,162 sq km
comparative area:
  slightly more than twice the size of Idaho
Land boundaries:
  total 3,631 km, Iran 1,458 km, Jordan 181 km, Kuwait 242 km, Saudi
  Arabia 814 km, Syria 605 km, Turkey 331 km
Coastline:
  58 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf:
  not specified
territorial sea:
  12 nm
International disputes:
  Iran and Iraq restored diplomatic relations in 1990 but are still
  trying to work out written agreements settling outstanding disputes
  from their eight-year war concerning border demarcation,
  prisoners-of-war, and freedom of navigation and sovereignty over the
  Shatt al Arab waterway; in April 1991 official Iraqi acceptance of UN
  Security Council Resolution 687, which demands that Iraq accept the
  inviolability of the boundary set forth in its 1963 agreement with
  Kuwait, ending earlier claims to Bubiyan and Warbah islands or to all
  of Kuwait; the 20 May 1993 final report of the UN Iraq/Kuwait Boundary
  Demarcation Commission was welcomed by the Security Council in
  Resolution 833 of 27 May 1993, which also reaffirmed that the
  decisions of the commission on the boundary were final, bringing to a
  completion the official demarcation of the Iraq-Kuwait boundary; Iraqi
  officials still refuse to unconditionally recognize Kuwaiti
  sovereignty or the inviolability of the UN demarcated border; periodic
  disputes with upstream riparian Syria over Euphrates water rights;
  potential dispute over water development plans by Turkey for the
  Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
Climate:
  mostly desert; mild to cool winters with dry, hot, cloudless summers;
  northernmost regions along Iranian and Turkish borders experience cold
  winters with occasionally heavy snows
Terrain:
  mostly broad plains; reedy marshes in southeast; mountains along
  borders with Iran and Turkey
Natural resources:
  petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur
Land use:
arable land:
  12%
permanent crops:
  1%
meadows and pastures:
  9%
forest and woodland:
  3%
other:
  75%
Irrigated land:
  25,500 sq km (1989 est)
Environment:
current issues:
  government water control projects drain inhabited marsh areas, drying
  up or diverting the streams and rivers that support a sizable
  population of Shi'a Muslims who have inhabited these areas for
  thousands of years; the destruction of the natural habitat also poses
  serious threats to the wildlife populations; damage to water treatment
  and sewage facilities during Gulf war; inadequate supplies of potable
  water; development of Tigris-Euphrates Rivers system contingent upon
  agreements with upstream riparians (Syria, Turkey); air and water
  pollution; soil degradation (salinization) and erosion;
  desertification
natural hazards:
  NA
international agreements:
  party to - Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban; signed, but not ratified
  - Environmental Modification

@Iraq, People

Population:
  19,889,666 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
  3.73% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
  44.11 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
  7.26 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
  0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  67.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
  65.74 years
male:
  64.87 years
female:
  66.66 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  6.71 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
  Iraqi(s)
adjective:
  Iraqi
Ethnic divisions:
  Arab 75-80%, Kurdish 15-20%, Turkoman, Assyrian or other 5%
Religions:
  Muslim 97% (Shi'a 60-65%, Sunni 32-37%), Christian or other 3%
Languages:
  Arabic, Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions), Assyrian, Armenian
Literacy:
  age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population:
  60%
male:
  70%
female:
  49%
Labor force:
  4.4 million (1989)
by occupation:
  services 48%, agriculture 30%, industry 22%
note:
  severe labor shortage; expatriate labor force was about 1,600,000
  (July 1990); since then, it has declined substantially

@Iraq, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
  Republic of Iraq
conventional short form:
  Iraq
local long form:
  Al Jumhuriyah al Iraqiyah
local short form:
  Al Iraq
Digraph:
  IZ
Type:
  republic
Capital:
  Baghdad
Administrative divisions:
  18 provinces (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Anbar, Al Basrah,
  Al Muthanna, Al Qadisiyah, An Najaf, Arbil, As Sulaymaniyah, At
  Ta'mim, Babil, Baghdad, Dahuk, Dhi Qar, Diyala, Karbala', Maysan,
  Ninawa, Salah ad Din, Wasit
Independence:
  3 October 1932 (from League of Nations mandate under British
  administration)
National holiday:
  Anniversary of the Revolution, 17 July (1968)
Constitution:
  22 September 1968, effective 16 July 1970 (provisional Constitution);
  new constitution drafted in 1990 but not adopted
Legal system:
  based on Islamic law in special religious courts, civil law system
  elsewhere; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
  President SADDAM Husayn (since 16 July 1979); Vice President Taha
  Muhyi al-Din MARUF (since 21 April 1974); Vice President Taha Yasin
  RAMADAN (since 23 March 1991)
head of government:
  Prime Minister Ahmad Husayn Khudayir al-SAMARRAI (since 5 September
  1993); Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Mikhail AZIZ (since NA 1979)
Revolutionary Command Council:
  Chairman SADDAM Husayn, Vice Chairman Izzat IBRAHIM al-Duri
cabinet:
  Council of Ministers
Legislative branch:
  unicameral
National Assembly (Majlis al-Watani):
  elections last held on 1 April 1989 (next to be held NA); results -
  Sunni Arabs 53%, Shi'a Arabs 30%, Kurds 15%, Christians 2% est.; seats
  - (250 total) number of seats by party NA
note:
  in northern Iraq, a "Kurdish Assembly" was elected in May 1992 and
  calls for Kurdish self-determination within a federated Iraq; the
  assembly is not recognized by the Baghdad government
Judicial branch:
  Court of Cassation
Political parties and leaders:
  Ba'th Party
Other political or pressure groups:
  political parties and activity severely restricted; opposition to
  regime from disaffected members of the Baath Party, Army officers, and
  Shi'a religious and ethnic Kurdish dissidents; the Green Party
  (government-controlled)
Member of:
  ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-19, G-77, IAEA,
  IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT,
  INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, PCA, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
  Iraq has an Interest Section in the Algerian Embassy in Washington, DC
chancery:
  Iraqi Interests Section, 1801 P Street NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone:
  [phone]
FAX:
  [phone]
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
  (vacant); note - operations have been temporarily suspended; a US
  Interests Section is located in Poland's embassy in Baghdad
embassy:
  Masbah Quarter (opposite the Foreign Ministry Club), Baghdad
mailing address:
  P. O. Box 2447 Alwiyah, Baghdad
telephone:
  [964] (1) 719-6138 or 719-6139, 718-1840, 719-3791
Flag:
  three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with three
  green five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centered in the white
  band; the phrase ALLAHU AKBAR (God is Great) in green Arabic script -
  Allahu to the right of the middle star and Akbar to the left of the
  middle star - was added in January 1991 during the Persian Gulf
  crisis; similar to the flag of Syria that has two stars but no script
  and the flag of Yemen that has a plain white band; also similar to the
  flag of Egypt that has a symbolic eagle centered in the white band

@Iraq, Economy

Overview:
  The Ba'thist regime engages in extensive central planning and
  management of industrial production and foreign trade while leaving
  some small-scale industry and services and most agriculture to private
  enterprise. The economy has been dominated by the oil sector, which
  has traditionally provided about 95% of foreign exchange earnings. In
  the 1980s, financial problems caused by massive expenditures in the
  eight-year war with Iran and damage to oil export facilities by Iran,
  led the government to implement austerity measures and to borrow
  heavily and later reschedule foreign debt payments. After the end of
  hostilities in 1988, oil exports gradually increased with the
  construction of new pipelines and restoration of damaged facilities.
  Agricultural development remained hampered by labor shortages,
  salinization, and dislocations caused by previous land reform and
  collectivization programs. The industrial sector, although accorded
  high priority by the government, also was under financial constraints.
  Iraq's seizure of Kuwait in August 1990, subsequent international
  economic embargoes, and military action by an international coalition
  beginning in January 1991 drastically changed the economic picture.
  Industrial and transportation facilities suffered severe damage and
  have been only partially restored. Oil exports remain at less than 10%
  of the previous level. Shortages of spare parts continue. Living
  standards deteriorated even further in 1993 and early 1994; consumer
  prices at least tripled in 1993. The UN-sponsored economic embargo has
  reduced exports and imports and has contributed to the sharp rise in
  prices. The government's policies of supporting large military and
  internal security forces and of allocating resources to key supporters
  of the regime have exacerbated shortages. In brief, per capita output
  in 1993-94 is far below the 1989-90 level, but no precise estimate is
  available.
National product:
  GNP - purchasing power equivalent - $38 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  NA%
National product per capita:
  $2,000 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  200% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate:
  NA%
Budget:
revenues:
  $NA
expenditures:
  $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exports:
  $10.4 billion (f.o.b., 1990)
commodities:
  crude oil and refined products, fertilizer, sulfur
partners:
  US, Brazil, Turkey, Japan, Netherlands, Spain (1990)
Imports:
  $6.6 billion (c.i.f., 1990)
commodities:
  manufactures, food
partners:
  Germany, US, Turkey, France, UK (1990)
External debt:
  $45 billion (1989 est.), excluding debt of about $35 billion owed to
  Arab Gulf states
Industrial production:
  growth rate NA%; manufacturing accounts for 10% of GNP (1989)
Electricity:
capacity:
  7,300,000 kW available out of 9,902,000 kW due to Gulf war
production:
  12.9 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
  700 kWh (1992)
Industries:
  petroleum production and refining, chemicals, textiles, construction
  materials, food processing
Agriculture:
  accounted for 11% of GNP and 30% of labor force before the Gulf war;
  principal products - wheat, barley, rice, vegetables, dates, other
  fruit, cotton, wool; livestock - cattle, sheep; not self-sufficient in
  food output
Economic aid:
recipient:
  US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-80), $3 million; Western
  (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $647
  million; Communist countries (1970-89), $3.9 billion
Currency:
  1 Iraqi dinar (ID) = 1,000 fils
Exchange rates:
  Iraqi dinars (ID) per US$1 - 3.2 (fixed official rate since 1982);
  black-market rate (May 1994) US$1 = 370 Iraqi dinars
Fiscal year:
  calendar year

@Iraq, Communications

Railroads:
  2,457 km 1.435-meter standard gauge
Highways:
total:
  34,700 km
paved:
  17,500 km
unpaved:
  improved earth 5,500 km; unimproved earth 11,700 km
Inland waterways:
  1,015 km; Shatt al Arab is usually navigable by maritime traffic for
  about 130 km; channel has been dredged to 3 meters and is in use;
  Tigris and Euphrates Rivers have navigable sections for shallow-draft
  watercraft; Shatt al Basrah canal was navigable by shallow-draft craft
  before closing in 1991 because of the Persian Gulf war
Pipelines:
  crude oil 4,350 km; petroleum products 725 km; natural gas 1,360 km
Ports:
  Umm Qasr reopened in November 1993; Khawr az Zubayr and Al Basrah have
  been closed since 1980
Merchant marine:
  37 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 805,205 GRT/1,444,810 DWT, cargo
  15, oil tanker 16, passenger 1, passenger-cargo 1, refrigerated cargo
  1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 3
note:
  none of the Iraqi flag merchant fleet was trading internationally as
  of 1 January 1993
Airports:
total:
  118
usable:
  105
with permanent-surface runways:
  76
with runways over 3,659 m:
  10
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  51
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  17
Telecommunications:
  reconstitution of damaged telecommunication facilities began after
  Desert Storm, most damaged facilities have been rebuilt; the network
  consists of coaxial cables and microwave radio relay links; 632,000
  telephones; broadcast stations - 16 AM, 1 FM, 13 TV; satellite earth
  stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1
  Atlantic Ocean GORIZONT in the Intersputnik system and 1 ARABSAT;
  coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Jordan, Kuwait, Syria, and
  Turkey, Kuwait line is probably non-operational

@Iraq, Defense Forces

Branches:
  Army and Republican Guard, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, Border
  Guard Force, Internal Security Forces
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 4,428,193; fit for military service 2,487,319; reach
  military age (18) annually 219,641 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
  $NA, NA% of GNP


@Ireland, Geography

Location:
  Western Europe, in the North Atlantic Ocean, across the Irish Sea from
  Great Britain
Map references:
  Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
  70,280 sq km
land area:
  68,890 sq km
comparative area:
  slightly larger than West Virginia
Land boundaries:
  total 360 km, UK 360 km
Coastline:
  1,448 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf:
  not specified
exclusive fishing zone:
  200 nm
territorial sea:
  12 nm
International disputes:
  Northern Ireland question with the UK; Rockall continental shelf
  dispute involving Denmark, Iceland, and the UK (Ireland and the UK
  have signed a boundary agreement in the Rockall area)
Climate:
  temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild winters,
  cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the time
Terrain:
  mostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged hills and
  low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast
Natural resources:
  zinc, lead, natural gas, petroleum, barite, copper, gypsum, limestone,
  dolomite, peat, silver
Land use:
arable land:
  14%
permanent crops:
  0%
meadows and pastures:
  71%
forest and woodland:
  5%
other:
  10%
Irrigated land:
  NA sq km
Environment:
current issues:
  water pollution, especially of lakes, from agricultural runoff
natural hazards:
  NA
international agreements:
  party to - Air Pollution, Environmental Modification, Hazardous
  Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,
  Tropical Timber, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Air
  Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered
  Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation
Note:
  strategic location on major air and sea routes between North American
  and northern Europe; over 40% of the population resides within 60
  miles of Dublin

@Ireland, People

Population:
  3,539,296 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
  0.3% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
  14.21 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
  8.59 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
  -2.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  7.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
  75.68 years
male:
  72.85 years
female:
  78.68 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  1.99 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
  Irishman(men), Irishwoman(men), Irish (collective plural)
adjective:
  Irish
Ethnic divisions:
  Celtic, English
Religions:
  Roman Catholic 93%, Anglican 3%, none 1%, unknown 2%, other 1% (1981)
Languages:
  Irish (Gaelic), spoken mainly in areas located along the western
  seaboard, English is the language generally used
Literacy:
  age 15 and over can read and write (1981 est.)
total population:
  98%
male:
  NA%
female:
  NA%
Labor force:
  1.37 million
by occupation:
  services 57.0%, manufacturing and construction 28%, agriculture,
  forestry, and fishing 13.5%, energy and mining 1.5% (1992)

@Ireland, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
  none
conventional short form:
  Ireland
Digraph:
  EI
Type:
  republic
Capital:
  Dublin
Administrative divisions:
  26 counties; Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Dublin, Galway,
  Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Louth,
  Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary, Waterford,
  Westmeath, Wexford, Wicklow
Independence:
  6 December 1921 (from UK)
National holiday:
  Saint Patrick's Day, 17 March
Constitution:
  29 December 1937; adopted 1 July 1937 by plebecite
Legal system:
  based on English common law, substantially modified by indigenous
  concepts; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court; has
  not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
  President Mary Bourke ROBINSON (since 9 November 1990); election last
  held 9 November 1990 (next to be held November 1997); results - Mary
  Bourke ROBINSON 52.8%, Brian LENIHAN 47.2%
head of government:
  Prime Minister Albert REYNOLDS (since 11 February 1992)
cabinet:
  Cabinet; appointed by president with previous nomination of the prime
  minister and approval of the House of Representatives
Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament (Oireachtas)
Senate (Seanad Eireann):
  elections last held on NA February 1992 (next to be held February
  1997); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (60 total, 49
  elected) Fianna Fail 26, Fine Gael 16, Labor 9, Progressive Democrats
  2, Democratic Left 1, independents 6
House of Representatives (Dail Eireann):
  elections last held on 25 November 1992 (next to be held by June
  1995); results - Fianna Fail 39.1%, Fine Gael 24.5%, Labor Party
  19.3%, Progressive Democrats 4.7%, Democratic Left 2.8%, Sinn Fein
  1.6%, Workers' Party 0.7%, independents 5.9%; seats - (166 total)
  Fianna Fail 68, Fine Gael 45, Labor Party 33, Progressive Democrats
  10, Democratic Left 4, Greens 1, independents 5
Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
  Democratic Left, Proinsias DE ROSSA; Fianna Fail, Albert REYNOLDS;
  Labor Party, Richard SPRING; Fine Gael, John BRUTON; Communist Party
  of Ireland, Michael O'RIORDAN; Sinn Fein, Gerry ADAMS; Progressive
  Democrats, Desmond O'MALLEY
note:
  Prime Minister REYNOLDS heads a coalition consisting of the Fianna
  Fail and the Labor Party
Member of:
  Australian Group, BIS, CCC, CE, COCOM (cooperating), CSCE, EBRD, EC,
  ECE, EIB, ESA, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC,
  ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MINURSO,
  MTCR, NEA, NSG, OECD, ONUSAL, UN, UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP,
  UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNOSOM, UNPROFRO, UNTAC, UNTSO, UPU, WEU
  (observer), WHO, WIPO, WMO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
  Ambassador Dermot A. GALLAGHER
chancery:
  2234 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
  [phone]
consulate(s) general:
  Boston, Chicago, New York, and San Francisco
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
  Ambassador Jean Kennedy SMITH
embassy:
  42 Elgin Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin
mailing address:
  use embassy street address
telephone:
  [353] (1) 6687122
FAX:
  [353] (1) 6689946
Flag:
  three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and orange;
  similar to the flag of the Cote d'Ivoire, which is shorter and has the
  colors reversed - orange (hoist side), white, and green; also similar
  to the flag of Italy, which is shorter and has colors of green (hoist
  side), white, and red

@Ireland, Economy

Overview:
  The economy is small and trade dependent. Agriculture, once the most
  important sector, is now dwarfed by industry, which accounts for 37%
  of GDP, about 80% of exports, and employs 28% of the labor force.
  Since 1987, real GDP growth, led by exports, has averaged 4% annually.
  Over the same period, inflation has fallen sharply and chronic trade
  deficits have been transformed into annual surpluses. Unemployment
  remains a serious problem, however, and job creation is the main focus
  of government policy. To ease unemployment, Dublin aggressively courts
  foreign investors and recently created a new industrial development
  agency to aid small indigenous firms. Government assistance is
  constrained by Dublin's continuing deficit reduction measures.
National product:
  GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $46.3 billion (1993)
National product real growth rate:
  2.7% (1993)
National product per capita:
  $13,100 (1993)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  2.7% (1994 est.)
Unemployment rate:
  16% (1994 est.)
Budget:
revenues:
  $16 billion
expenditures:
  $16.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.6 billion (1992
  est.)
Exports:
  $28.3 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities:
  chemicals, data processing equipment, industrial machinery, live
  animals, animal products
partners:
  EC 75% (UK 32%, Germany 13%, France 10%), US 9%
Imports:
  $23.3 billion (c.i.f., 1992)
commodities:
  food, animal feed, data processing equipment, petroleum and petroleum
  products, machinery, textiles, clothing
partners:
  EC 66% (UK 41%, Germany 8%, Netherlands 4%), US 15%
External debt:
  $17.6 billion (1992)
Industrial production:
  growth rate 11.5% (1992); accounts for 37% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
  5,000,000 kW
production:
  14.5 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
  4,120 kWh (1992)
Industries:
  food products, brewing, textiles, clothing, chemicals,
  pharmaceuticals, machinery, transportation equipment, glass and
  crystal
Agriculture:
  accounts for 8% of GDP and 13% of the labor force; principal crops -
  turnips, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat; livestock - meat and
  dairy products; 85% self-sufficient in food; food shortages include
  bread grain, fruits, vegetables
Illicit drugs:
  transshipment point for hashish from North Africa to the UK and
  Netherlands
Economic aid:
donor:
  ODA commitments (1980-89), $90 million
Currency:
  1 Irish pound (#Ir) = 100 pence
Exchange rates:
  Irish pounds (#Ir) per US$1 - 0.6978 (January 1994), 0.6816 (1993),
  0.5864 (1992), 0.6190 (1991), 0.6030 (1990), 0.7472 (1989)
Fiscal year:
  calendar year

@Ireland, Communications

Railroads:
  Irish National Railways (CIE) operates 1,947 km 1.602-meter gauge,
  government owned; 485 km double track; 37 km electrified
Highways:
total:
  92,294 km
paved:
  87,422 km
unpaved:
  gravel, crushed stone 4,872 km
Inland waterways:
  limited for commercial traffic
Pipelines:
  natural gas 225 km
Ports:
  Cork, Dublin, Waterford
Merchant marine:
  53 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 139,278 GRT/173,325 DWT, bulk 4,
  cargo 32, chemical tanker 2, container 4, oil tanker 3, refrigerated
  cargo 2, short-sea passenger 3, specialized tanker 3
Airports:
total:
  44
usable:
  42
with permanent-surface runways:
  14
with runways over 3,659 m:
  0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  2
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  7
Telecommunications:
  modern system using cable and digital microwave circuits; 900,000
  telephones; broadcast stations - 9 AM, 45 FM, 86 TV; 2 coaxial
  submarine cables; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

@Ireland, Defense Forces

Branches:
  Army (including Naval Service and Air Corps), National Police (Garda
  Siochana)
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 914,052; fit for military service 739,288; reach
  military age (17) annually 33,809 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $500 million, 1.3% of GDP (1993)


@Israel

Header
Affiliation:
  (also see separate Gaza Strip and West Bank entries)
Note:
  The territories occupied by Israel since the 1967 war are not included
  in the data below. In keeping with the framework established at the
  Madrid Conference in October 1991, bilateral negotiations are being
  conducted between Israel and Palestinian representatives, Syria, and
  Jordan to determine the final status of the occupied territories. On
  25 April 1982, Israel withdrew from the Sinai pursuant to the 1979
  Israel-Egypt Peace treaty.

@Israel, Geography

Location:
  Middle East, bordering the eastern Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt
  and Lebanon
Map references:
  Africa, Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
  20,770 sq km
land area:
  20,330 sq km
comparative area:
  slightly larger than New Jersey
Land boundaries:
  total 1,006 km, Egypt 255 km, Gaza Strip 51 km, Jordan 238 km, Lebanon
  79 km, Syria 76 km, West Bank 307 km
Coastline:
  273 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf:
  to depth of exploitation
territorial sea:
  12 nm
International disputes:
  separated from Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank by the 1949 Armistice
  Line; differences with Jordan over the location of the 1949 Armistice
  Line that separates the two countries; the Gaza Strip and Jericho,
  formerly occupied by Israel, are now administered by the Palestinian
  Authority; other areas of the West Bank outside Jericho are Israeli
  occupied; Golan Heights is Israeli occupied; Israeli troops in
  southern Lebanon since June 1982; water-sharing issues with Jordan
Climate:
  temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas
Terrain:
  Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains;
  Jordan Rift Valley
Natural resources:
  copper, phosphates, bromide, potash, clay, sand, sulfur, asphalt,
  manganese, small amounts of natural gas and crude oil
Land use:
arable land:
  17%
permanent crops:
  5%
meadows and pastures:
  40%
forest and woodland:
  6%
other:
  32%
Irrigated land:
  2,140 sq km (1989)
Environment:
current issues:
  limited arable land and freshwater resources pose serious constraints;
  deforestation; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions;
  groundwater pollution from industrial and domestic waste, chemical
  fertilizers, and pesticides
natural hazards:
  sandstorms may occur during spring and summer
international agreements:
  party to - Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone
  Layer Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Climate
  Change, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation
Note:
  there are 200 Jewish settlements and civilian land use sites in the
  West Bank, 40 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 24 in the Gaza
  Strip, and 25 in East Jerusalem (April 1994)

@Israel, People

Population:
  5,050,850 (July 1994 est.)
note:
  includes 110,500 Jewish settlers in the West Bank, 14,000 in the
  Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 4,500 in the Gaza Strip, and 144,100
  in East Jerusalem (1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
  2.22% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
  20.55 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
  6.43 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
  8.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  8.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
  77.96 years
male:
  75.86 years
female:
  80.16 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  2.83 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
  Israeli(s)
adjective:
  Israeli
Ethnic divisions:
  Jewish 83%, non-Jewish 17% (mostly Arab)
Religions:
  Judaism 82%, Islam 14% (mostly Sunni Muslim), Christian 2%, Druze and
  other 2%
Languages:
  Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority, English
  most commonly used foreign language
Literacy:
  age 15 and over can read and write (1983)
total population:
  92%
male:
  95%
female:
  89%
Labor force:
  1.9 million (1992)
by occupation:
  public services 29.3%, industry 22.1%, commerce 13.9%, finance and
  business 10.4%, personal and other services 7.4%, construction 6.5%,
  transport, storage, and communications 6.3%, agriculture, forestry,
  and fishing 3.5%, other 0.6% (1992)

@Israel, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
  State of Israel
conventional short form:
  Israel
local long form:
  Medinat Yisra'el
local short form:
  Yisra'el
Digraph:
  IS
Type:
  republic
Capital:
  Jerusalem
note:
  Israel proclaimed Jerusalem its capital in 1950, but the US, like
  nearly all other countries, maintains its Embassy in Tel Aviv
Administrative divisions:
  6 districts (mehozot, singular - mehoz); Central, Haifa, Jerusalem,
  Northern, Southern, Tel Aviv
Independence:
  14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British
  administration)
National holiday:
  Independence Day, 14 May 1948 (Israel declared independence on 14 May
  1948, but the Jewish calendar is lunar and the holiday may occur in
  April or May)
Constitution:
  no formal constitution; some of the functions of a constitution are
  filled by the Declaration of Establishment (1948), the basic laws of
  the parliament (Knesset), and the Israeli citizenship law
Legal system:
  mixture of English common law, British Mandate regulations, and, in
  personal matters, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim legal systems; in
  December 1985, Israel informed the UN Secretariat that it would no
  longer accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
  President Ezer WEIZMAN (since 13 May 1993) election last held 24 March
  1993 (next to be held NA March 1999); results - Ezer WEIZMAN elected
  by Knesset
head of government:
  Prime Minister Yitzhak RABIN (since NA July 1992)
cabinet:
  Cabinet; selected from and approved by the Knesset
Legislative branch:
  unicameral
parliament (Knesset):
  elections last held NA June 1992 (next to be held by NA 1996); results
  - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (120 total) Labor Party 44,
  Likud bloc 32, Meretz 12, Tzomet 8, National Religious Party 6, Shas
  6, United Torah Jewry 4, Democratic Front for Peace and Equality
  (Hadash) 3, Moledet 3, Arab Democratic Party 2; note - in 1994 three
  new parties were formed, Yi'ud (from Tzomet), Histadrut List (from the
  Labor Party), and Peace Guard (from Moledet), resulting in the
  following new distribution of seats - Labor Party 41, Likud bloc 32,
  Meretz 12, National Religious Party 6, Shas 6, Tzomet 5, United Torah
  Jewry 4, Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash) 3, Yi'ud 3,
  Histadrut List 3, Moledet 2, Arab Democratic Party 2, Peace Guard 1
Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
members of the government:
  Labor Party, Prime Minister Yitzhak RABIN; MERETZ, Minister of
  Communications Shulamit ALONI
not in coalition, but voting with the government:
  SHAS, Arieh DERI; Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash),
  Hashim MAHAMID; Arab Democratic Party, Abd al Wahab DARAWSHAH;
  Histadrut List, Haim RAMON
opposition parties:
  Likud Party, Binyamin NETANYAHU; Tzomet, Rafael EITAN; National
  Religious Party, Zevulun HAMMER; United Torah Jewry, Avraham SHAPIRA;
  Moledet, Rehavam ZEEVI; Yi'ud, Gonen SEGEV; Peace Guard, Shoul GUTMAN
note:
  Israel currently has a coalition government comprising 3 parties that
  hold 56 seats of the Knesset's 120 seats
Other political or pressure groups:
  Gush Emunim, Jewish nationalists advocating Jewish settlement on the
  West Bank and Gaza Strip; Peace Now, critical of government's West
  Bank/Gaza Strip and Lebanon policies
Member of:
  AG (observer), CCC, CE (observer), CERN (oberver), EBRD, ECE, FAO,
  GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF,
  IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, OAS (observer),
  PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
  Ambassador Itamar RABINOVICH
chancery:
  3514 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
  [phone]
FAX:
  [phone]
consulate(s) general:
  Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York,
  Philadelphia, and San Francisco
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
  Ambassador Edward DJEREJIAN (expected to resign in August 1994)
embassy:
  71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv
mailing address:
  PSC 98, Box 100, Tel Aviv; APO AE 09830
telephone:
  [972] (3) 517-4338
FAX:
  [972] (3) 663-449
Flag:
  white with a blue hexagram (six-pointed linear star) known as the
  Magen David (Shield of David) centered between two equal horizontal
  blue bands near the top and bottom edges of the flag

@Israel, Economy

Overview:
  Israel has a market economy with substantial government participation.
  It depends on imports of crude oil, grains, raw materials, and
  military equipment. Despite limited natural resources, Israel has
  intensively developed its agricultural and industrial sectors over the
  past 20 years. Industry employs about 22% of Israeli workers,
  construction 6.5%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 3.5%, and
  services most of the rest. Diamonds, high-technology equipment, and
  agricultural products (fruits and vegetables) are leading exports.
  Israel usually posts current account deficits, which are covered by
  large transfer payments from abroad and by foreign loans. Roughly half
  of the government's external debt is owed to the United States, which
  is its major source of economic and military aid. To earn needed
  foreign exchange, Israel has been targeting high-technology niches in
  international markets, such as medical scanning equipment. The influx
  of Jewish immigrants from the former USSR, which topped 450,000 during
  the period 1990-93, increased unemployment, intensified housing
  problems, and strained the government budget. At the same time, the
  immigrants bring to the economy valuable scientific and professional
  expertise. Economic problems have eased as immigration has declined,
  but activity has slowed as the economy shifts from housing to
  export-driven growth.
National product:
  GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $65.7 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  3.5% (1993 est.)
National product per capita:
  $13,350 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  11.3% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate:
  10.4% (1993 est.)
Budget:
revenues:
  $33.4 billion
expenditures:
  $36.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $9.4 billion (FY93)
Exports:
  $14.1 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities:
  machinery and equipment, cut diamonds, chemicals, textiles and
  apparel, agricultural products, metals
partners:
  US, EC, Japan
Imports:
  $20.3 billion (c.i.f., 1993 est.)
commodities:
  military equipment, investment goods, rough diamonds, oil, other
  productive inputs, consumer goods
partners:
  US, EC
External debt:
  $24.8 billion (December 1993 est.)
Industrial production:
  growth rate 6.5% (1993 est.); accounts for about 30% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
  5,835,000 kW
production:
  21.84 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
  4,600 kWh (1992)
Industries:
  food processing, diamond cutting and polishing, textiles and apparel,
  chemicals, metal products, military equipment, transport equipment,
  electrical equipment, miscellaneous machinery, potash mining,
  high-technology electronics, tourism
Agriculture:
  accounts for about 7% of GDP; largely self-sufficient in food
  production, except for grains; principal products - citrus and other
  fruits, vegetables, cotton; livestock products - beef, dairy, poultry
Illicit drugs:
  increasingly concerned about cocaine and heroin abuse and trafficking
Economic aid:
recipient:
  US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-90), $18.2 billion; Western
  (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $2.8
  billion
Currency:
  1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new agorot
Exchange rates:
  new Israeli shekels (NIS) per US$1 - 2.9760 (February 1994), 2.8301
  (1993), 2.4591 (1992), 2.2791 (1991), 2.0162 (1990), 1.9164 (1989)
Fiscal year:
  calendar year (since 1 January 1992)

@Israel, Communications

Railroads:
  600 km 1.435-meter gauge, single track; diesel operated
Highways:
total:
  13,300 km
paved:
  13,300 km
Pipelines:
  crude oil 708 km; petroleum products 290 km; natural gas 89 km
Ports:
  Ashdod, Haifa
Merchant marine:
  33 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 637,097 GRT/737,762 DWT, cargo
  8, container 22, refrigerated cargo 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1
note:
  Israel also maintains a significant flag of convenience fleet, which
  is normally at least as large as the Israeli flag fleet; the Israeli
  flag of convenience fleet typically includes all of its oil tankers
Airports:
total:
  55
usable:
  48
with permanent-surface runways:
  30
with runways over 3,659 m:
  1
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  6
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  13
Telecommunications:
  most highly developed in the Middle East although not the largest;
  good system of coaxial cable and microwave radio relay; 1,800,000
  telephones; broadcast stations - 14 AM, 21 FM, 20 TV; 3 submarine
  cables; satellite earth stations - 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1
  Indian Ocean INTELSAT

@Israel, Defense Forces

Branches:
  Israel Defense Forces (including ground, naval, and air components)
note:
  historically, there have been no separate Israeli military services
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 1,257,345; females age 15-49 1,280,899; males fit for
  military service 1,026,699; females fit for military service
  1,049,998; males reach military age (18) annually 47,297 (1994 est.);
  females reach military age (18) annually 45,214 (1994 est.); both
  sexes are liable for military service
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $12.5 billion, 18% of GDP (1993)


@Italy, Geography

Location:
  Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean
  Sea
Map references:
  Africa, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
  301,230 sq km
land area:
  294,020 sq km
comparative area:
  slightly larger than Arizona
note:
  includes Sardinia and Sicily
Land boundaries:
  total 1,899.2 km, Austria 430 km, France 488 km, Holy See (Vatican
  City) 3.2 km, San Marino 39 km, Slovenia 199 km, Switzerland 740 km
Coastline:
  4,996 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf:
  200-m depth or to depth of exploitation
territorial sea:
  12 nm
International disputes:
  none
Climate:
  predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry in south
Terrain:
  mostly rugged and mountainous; some plains, coastal lowlands
Natural resources:
  mercury, potash, marble, sulfur, dwindling natural gas and crude oil
  reserves, fish, coal
Land use:
arable land:
  32%
permanent crops:
  10%
meadows and pastures:
  17%
forest and woodland:
  22%
other:
  19%
Irrigated land:
  31,000 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
  air pollution from industrial emissions such as sulfur dioxide;
  coastal and inland rivers polluted from industrial and agricultural
  effluents; acid rain damaging lakes
natural hazards:
  regional risks include landslides, mudflows, avalanches, earthquakes,
  volcanic eruptions, flooding; land subsidence in Venice
international agreements:
  party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
  Pollution-Sulphur, Antarctic Treaty, Endangered Species, Environmental
  Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban,
  Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber, Wetlands;
  signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
  Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of
  the Sea
Note:
  strategic location dominating central Mediterranean as well as
  southern sea and air approaches to Western Europe

@Italy, People

Population:
  58,138,394 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
  0.21% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
  10.79 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
  9.71 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
  1.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  7.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
  77.64 years
male:
  74.44 years
female:
  81.04 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  1.39 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
  Italian(s)
adjective:
  Italian
Ethnic divisions:
  Italian (includes small clusters of German-, French-, and
  Slovene-Italians in the north and Albanian-Italians and Greek-Italians
  in the south), Sicilians, Sardinians
Religions:
  Roman Catholic 98%, other 2%
Languages:
  Italian, German (parts of Trentino-Alto Adige region are predominantly
  German speaking), French (small French-speaking minority in Valle
  d'Aosta region), Slovene (Slovene-speaking minority in the
  Trieste-Gorizia area)
Literacy:
  age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population:
  97%
male:
  98%
female:
  96%
Labor force:
  23.988 million
by occupation:
  services 58%, industry 32.2%, agriculture 9.8% (1988)

@Italy, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
  Italian Republic
conventional short form:
  Italy
local long form:
  Repubblica Italiana
local short form:
  Italia
former:
  Kingdom of Italy
Digraph:
  IT
Type:
  republic
Capital:
  Rome
Administrative divisions:
  20 regions (regioni, singular - regione); Abruzzi, Basilicata,
  Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lazio,
  Liguria, Lombardia, Marche, Molise, Piemonte, Puglia, Sardegna,
  Sicilia, Toscana, Trentino-Alto Adige, Umbria, Valle d'Aosta, Veneto
Independence:
  17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed)
National holiday:
  Anniversary of the Republic, 2 June (1946)
Constitution:
  1 January 1948
Legal system:
  based on civil law system, with ecclesiastical law influence; appeals
  treated as trials de novo; judicial review under certain conditions in
  Constitutional Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
  18 years of age, universal (except in senatorial elections, where
  minimum age is 25)
Executive branch:
chief of state:
  President Oscar Luigi SCALFARO (since 28 May 1992)
head of government:
  Prime Minister Silvio BERLUSCONI (since 11 May 1994)
cabinet:
  Council of Ministers; appointed by the president
Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament (Parlamento)
Senate (Senato della Repubblica):
  elections last held 27-28 March 1994 (next expected to be held by
  spring 2001); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (326
  total; 315 elected, 11 appointed senators-for-life) PDS 61, Northern
  League 60, National Alliance 48, Forza Italia 36, Popular Party 31,
  Communist Refounding 18, Greens and The Network 13, Socialist Party
  13, Christian Democratic Center 12, Democratic Alliance 8, Christian
  Socialists 5, Pact for Italy 4, Radical Party 1, others 5
Chamber of Deputies (Camera dei Deputati):
  elections last held 27-28 March 1994 (next expected to be held by
  spring 2001); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (630
  total) Northern League 117, PDS 114, Forza Italia 113, National
  Alliance 109, Communist Refounding 39, Christian Democratic Center 33,
  Popular Party 33, Greens and The Network 20, Democratic Alliance 18,
  Socialist Party 16, Pact for Italy 13, Christian Socialists 5
Judicial branch:
  Constitutional Court (Corte Costituzionale)
Political parties and leaders:
Rightists:
  Forza Italia, Silvio BERLUSCONI; National Alliance (was Italian Social
  Movement - MSI - until January 1994), Gianfranco FINI, party
  secretary; Lega Nord (Northern League), Umberto BOSSI, president
Leftists:
  Democratic Party of the Left (PDS - was Communist Party, or PCI, until
  January 1991), Achille OCCHETTO, secretary; Communist Refounding,
  Fausto BERTINOTTI; Greens, Carlo RIPA di MEARA; Radical Party, Marco
  PANNELLA; Italian Socialist Party, Ottaviano DELTURCO; The Network,
  Leoluca ORLANDO; Christian Socialists, Ermanno GORRIERI
Centrists:
  Pact for Italy, Mario SEGNI; Popular Party, Rosa JERVOLINO; Christian
  Democratic Center, Pier Ferdinando CASINI
Other political or pressure groups:
  the Roman Catholic Church; three major trade union confederations
  (CGIL - formerly Communist dominated, CISL - Christian Democratic, and
  UIL - Social Democratic, Socialist, and Republican); Italian
  manufacturers and merchants associations (Confindustria,
  Confcommercio); organized farm groups (Confcoltivatori,
  Confagricoltura)
Member of:
  AfDB, AG (observer), Australia Group, AsDB, BIS, CCC, CDB
  (non-regional), CE, CEI, CERN, COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECE, ECLAC, EIB,
  ESA, FAO, G-7, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA,
  IFAD, IEA, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM,
  ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), LORCS, MINURSO, MTCR, NACC, NATO, NEA, NSG,
  OAS (observer), OECD, ONUSAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
  UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMOGIP, UNOSOM, UNTAC, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO,
  WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
  Ambassador Boris BIANCHERI-CHIAPPORI
chancery:
  1601 Fuller Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone:
  [phone]
consulate(s) general:
  Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia,
  San Francisco
consulate(s):
  Detroit, New Orleans, and Newark (New Jersey)
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
  Ambassador Reginald BARTHOLOMEW
embassy:
  Via Veneto 119/A, 00187-Rome
mailing address:
  PSC 59, Box 100, Rome; APO AE 09624
telephone:
  [39] (6) 46741
FAX:
  [39] (6) 488-2672
consulate(s) general:
  Florence, Milan, Naples
Flag:
  three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red;
  similar to the flag of Ireland, which is longer and is green (hoist
  side), white, and orange; also similar to the flag of the Cote
  d'Ivoire, which has the colors reversed - orange (hoist side), white,
  and green

@Italy, Economy

Overview:
  Since World War II the Italian economy has changed from one based on
  agriculture into a ranking industrial economy, with approximately the
  same total and per capita output as France and the UK. The country is
  still divided into a developed industrial north, dominated by private
  companies, and an undeveloped agricultural south, dominated by large
  public enterprises. Services account for 48% of GDP, industry 35%,
  agriculture 4%, and public administration 13%. Most raw materials
  needed by industry and over 75% of energy requirements must be
  imported. After growing at an annual average rate of 3% in 1983-90,
  growth slowed to about 1% in 1991 and 1992 and fell by 0.7% in 1993.
  In the second half of 1992, Rome became unsettled by the prospect of
  not qualifying to participate in EC plans for economic and monetary
  union later in the decade; thus it finally began to address its huge
  fiscal imbalances. Thanks to the determination of Prime Ministers
  AMATO and CIAMPI, the government adopted a fairly stringent budget for
  1993 and 1994, abandoned its highly inflationary wage indexation
  system, and started to scale back its extremely generous social
  welfare programs, including pension and health care benefits. Monetary
  officials were forced to withdraw the lira from the European monetary
  system in September 1992 when it came under extreme pressure in
  currency markets. For the 1990s, Italy faces the problems of
  refurbishing a tottering communications system, curbing pollution in
  major industrial centers, and adjusting to the new competitive forces
  accompanying the ongoing economic integration of the European Union.
National product:
  GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $967.6 billion (1993)
National product real growth rate:
  -0.7% (1993)
National product per capita:
  $16,700 (1993)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  4.2% (1993)
Unemployment rate:
  11.3% (January 1994)
Budget:
revenues:
  $302 billion
expenditures:
  $391 billion, including capital expenditures of $48 billion (1993
  est.)
Exports:
  $178.2 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities:
  metals, textiles and clothing, production machinery, motor vehicles,
  transportation equipment, chemicals, other
partners:
  EC 58.3%, US 6.8%, OPEC 5.1% (1992)
Imports:
  $188.5 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities:
  industrial machinery, chemicals, transport equipment, petroleum,
  metals, food, agricultural products
partners:
  EC 58.8%, OPEC 6.1%, US 5.5% (1992)
External debt:
  $67 billion (1993 est.)
Industrial production:
  growth rate -2.8% (1993 est.); accounts for almost 35% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
  58,000,000 kW
production:
  235 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
  4,060 kWh (1992)
Industries:
  machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, food processing, textiles, motor
  vehicles, clothing, footwear, ceramics
Agriculture:
  accounts for about 4% of GDP and about 9.8% of the work force;
  self-sufficient in foods other than meat, dairy products, and cereals;
  principal crops - fruits, vegetables, grapes, potatoes, sugar beets,
  soybeans, grain, olives; fish catch of 525,000 metric tons in 1990
Illicit drugs:
  important gateway country for Latin American cocaine and Southwest
  Asian heroin entering the European market
Economic aid:
donor:
  ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89),  $25.9 billion
Currency:
  1 Italian lira (Lit) = 100 centesimi
Exchange rates:
  Italian lire (Lit) per US$1 - 1,700.2 (January 1994), 1,573.7 (1993),
  1,232.4 (1992), 1,240.6 (1991), 1,198.1 (1990), 1,372.1 (1989)
Fiscal year:
  calendar year

@Italy, Communications

Railroads:
  20,011 km total; 16,066 km 1.435-meter government-owned standard gauge
  (8,999 km electrified); 3,945 km privately owned - 2,100 km
  1.435-meter standard gauge (1,155 km electrified) and 1,845 km
  0.950-meter narrow gauge (380 km electrified)
Highways:
total:
  298,000 km
paved:
  270,000 km (including nearly 7,000 km of expressways)
unpaved:
  gravel, crushed stone 23,000 km; earth 5,000 km
Inland waterways:
  2,400 km for various types of commercial traffic, although of limited
  overall value
Pipelines:
  crude oil 1,703 km; petroleum products 2,148 km; natural gas 19,400 km
Ports:
  Cagliari (Sardinia), Genoa, La Spezia, Livorno, Naples, Palermo
  (Sicily), Taranto, Trieste, Venice
Merchant marine:
  474 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,055,779 GRT/8,924,779 DWT,
  bulk 50, cargo 72, chemical tanker 34, combination bulk 1, combination
  ore/oil 5, container 20, liquefied gas 39, multifunction large-load
  carrier 1, oil tanker 129, passenger 8, refrigerated cargo 2,
  roll-on/roll-off cargo 62, short-sea passenger 34, specialized tanker
  10, vehicle carrier 7
Airports:
total:
  137
usable:
  132
with permanent-surface runways:
  92
with runways over 3,659 m:
  2
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  36
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  39
Telecommunications:
  modern, well-developed, fast; 25,600,000 telephones; fully automated
  telephone, telex, and data services; high-capacity cable and microwave
  radio relay trunks; broadcast stations - 135 AM, 28 (1,840 repeaters)
  FM, 83 (1,000 repeaters) TV; international service by 21 submarine
  cables, 3 satellite earth stations operating in INTELSAT with 3
  Atlantic Ocean antennas and 2 Indian Ocean antennas; also participates
  in INMARSAT and EUTELSAT systems

@Italy, Defense Forces

Branches:
  Army, Navy, Air Force, Carabinieri
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 14,921,411; fit for military service 12,982,445; reach
  military age (18) annually 403,017 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $16.1 billion, 1.3% of GDP (1992)


@Jamaica, Geography

Location:
  Caribbean, in the northern Caribbean Sea, about 160 km south of Cuba
Map references:
  Central America and the Caribbean, North America, Standard Time Zones
  of the World
Area:
total area:
  10,990 sq km
land area:
  10,830 sq km
comparative area:
  slightly smaller than Connecticut
Land boundaries:
  0 km
Coastline:
  1,022 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone:
  200 nm
territorial sea:
  12 nm
International disputes:
  none
Climate:
  tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior
Terrain:
  mostly mountains with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain
Natural resources:
  bauxite, gypsum, limestone
Land use:
arable land:
  19%
permanent crops:
  6%
meadows and pastures:
  18%
forest and woodland:
  28%
other:
  29%
Irrigated land:
  350 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
  deforestation; water pollution
natural hazards:
  subject to hurricanes (especially July to November)
international agreements:
  party to - Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation,
  Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but
  not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change
Note:
  strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica Channel, the main
  sea lanes for Panama Canal

@Jamaica, People

Population:
  2,555,064 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
  1.02% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
  21.69 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
  5.62 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
  -5.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  16.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
  74.36 years
male:
  72.16 years
female:
  76.68 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  2.41 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
  Jamaican(s)
adjective:
  Jamaican
Ethnic divisions:
  African 76.3%, Afro-European 15.1%, East Indian and Afro-East Indian
  3%, white 3.2%, Chinese and Afro-Chinese 1.2%, other 1.2%
Religions:
  Protestant 55.9% (Church of God 18.4%, Baptist 10%, Anglican 7.1%,
  Seventh-Day Adventist 6.9%, Pentecostal 5.2%, Methodist 3.1%, United
  Church 2.7%, other 2.5%), Roman Catholic 5%, other, including some
  spiritual cults 39.1% (1982)
Languages:
  English, Creole
Literacy:
  age 15 and over having ever attended school (1990 est.)
total population:
  98%
male:
  98%
female:
  99%
Labor force:
  1,062,100
by occupation:
  services 41%, agriculture 22.5%, industry 19%, unemployed 17.5% (1989)

@Jamaica, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
  none
conventional short form:
  Jamaica
Digraph:
  JM
Type:
  parliamentary democracy
Capital:
  Kingston
Administrative divisions:
  14 parishes; Clarendon, Hanover, Kingston, Manchester, Portland, Saint
  Andrew, Saint Ann, Saint Catherine, Saint Elizabeth, Saint James,
  Saint Mary, Saint Thomas, Trelawny, Westmoreland
Independence:
  6 August 1962 (from UK)
National holiday:
  Independence Day (first Monday in August) (1962)
Constitution:
  6 August 1962
Legal system:
  based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
  jurisdiction
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
  Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor
  General Sir Howard COOKE (since 1 August 1991)
head of government:
  Prime Minister P. J. PATTERSON (since 30 March 1992); Deputy Prime
  Minister Seymour MULLINGS (since NA)
cabinet:
  Cabinet; appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime
  minister
Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament
Senate:
  consists of a 21-member body appointed by the governor general
House of Representatives:
  elections last held 30 March 1993 (next to be held by February 1998);
  results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (60 total) PNP 52, JLP
  8
Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
  People's National Party (PNP) P. J. PATTERSON; Jamaica Labor Party
  (JLP), Edward SEAGA
Other political or pressure groups:
  Rastafarians (black religious/racial cultists, pan-Africanists); New
  Beginnings Movement (NBM)
Member of:
  ACP, C, CARICOM, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-19, G-77, GATT, G-15, IADB,
  IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
  IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
  UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
  Ambassador Richard Leighton BERNAL
chancery:
  Suite 355, 1850 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20006
telephone:
  [phone]
FAX:
  [phone]
consulate(s) general:
  Miami and New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
  (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Lacy A. WRIGHT, Jr.
embassy:
  Jamaica Mutual Life Center, 2 Oxford Road, 3rd floor, Kingston
mailing address:
  use Embassy street address
telephone:
  [phone] through 4859
FAX:
  [phone]
Flag:
  diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles - green
  (top and bottom) and black (hoist side and fly side)

@Jamaica, Economy

Overview:
  The economy is based on sugar, bauxite, and tourism. In September
  1988, Hurricane Gilbert inflicted severe damage on crops and the
  electric power system, a sharp but temporary setback to the economy.
  By October 1989 the economic recovery from the hurricane was largely
  complete, and real growth was up to about 3% for 1989. In 1991,
  however, growth dropped to 0.2% as a result of the US recession, lower
  world bauxite prices, and monetary instability. In 1992, growth was
  1.2%, supported by a recovery in tourism and stabilization of the
  Jamaican dollar in the second half of 1992.
National product:
  GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $8 billion (1992 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  1.2% (1992 est.)
National product per capita:
  $3,200 (1992 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  30% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate:
  15.4% (1992)
Budget:
revenues:
  $600 million
expenditures:
  $736 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY91 est.)
Exports:
  $1.1 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities:
  alumina, bauxite, sugar, bananas, rum
partners:
  US 40%, UK 14%, Germany 10%, Canada 10%, Norway 7%
Imports:
  $1.5 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities:
  fuel, other raw materials, construction materials, food, transport
  equipment, other machinery and equipment
partners:
  US 53%, UK 5%, Venezuela 6%, Germany 5%, Japan 4.0%
External debt:
  $4.5 billion (1992 est.)
Industrial production:
  growth rate 2% (1990); accounts for almost 25% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
  1,127,000 kW
production:
  2.736 trillion kWh
consumption per capita:
  1,090 kWh (1992)
Industries:
  tourism, bauxite mining, textiles, food processing, light manufactures
Agriculture:
  accounts for about 7% of GDP, 23% of work force, and 17% of exports;
  commercial crops - sugarcane, bananas, coffee, citrus, potatoes,
  vegetables; livestock and livestock products include poultry, goats,
  milk; not self-sufficient in grain, meat, and dairy products
Illicit drugs:
  transshipment point for cocaine from Central and South America to
  North America and Europe; illicit cultivation of cannabis; government
  has an active cannabis eradication program
Economic aid:
recipient:
  US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.2 billion; other
  countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.6 billion
Currency:
  1 Jamaican dollar (J$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
  Jamaican dollars (J$) per US$1 -32.758 (31 December 1993), 22.960
  (1992), 12.116 (1991), 7.184 (1990), 5.7446 (1989)
Fiscal year:
  1 April - 31 March

@Jamaica, Communications

Railroads:
  370 km, all 1.435-meter standard gauge, single track
Highways:
total:
  18,200 km
paved:
  12,600 km
unpaved:
  gravel 3,200 km; improved earth 2,400 km
Pipelines:
  petroleum products 10 km
Ports:
  Kingston, Montego Bay, Port Antonio
Merchant marine:
  4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 9,618 GRT/16,215 DWT, bulk 2, oil
  tanker 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1
Airports:
total:
  40
usable:
  27
with permanent-surface runways:
  10
with runways over 3,659 m:
  0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  2
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  1
Telecommunications:
  fully automatic domestic telephone network; 127,000 telephones;
  broadcast stations - 10 AM, 17 FM, 8 TV; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
  earth stations; 3 coaxial submarine cables

@Jamaica, Defense Forces

Branches:
  Jamaica Defense Force (including Ground Forces, Coast Guard and Air
  Wing), Jamaica Constabulary Force
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 664,122; fit for military service 469,982; reach
  military age (18) annually 26,103 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $19.3 million, 1% of GDP (FY91/92)


@Jan Mayen

Header
Affiliation:
  (territory of Norway)

@Jan Mayen, Geography

Location:
  Nordic State, Northern Europe, in the North Atlantic Ocean, north of
  the Arctic Circle about 590 km north-northeast of Iceland, between the
  Greenland Sea and the Norwegian Sea
Map references:
  Arctic Region
Area:
total area:
  373 sq km
land area:
  373 sq km
comparative area:
  slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
  0 km
Coastline:
  124.1 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
  10 nm
continental shelf:
  200-m depth or to depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone:
  200 nm
territorial sea:
  4 nm
International disputes:
  dispute between Denmark and Norway over maritime boundary in Arctic
  Ocean between Greenland and Jan Mayen has been settled by the
  International Court of Justice
Climate:
  arctic maritime with frequent storms and persistent fog
Terrain:
  volcanic island, partly covered by glaciers; Beerenberg is the highest
  peak, with an elevation of 2,277 meters
Natural resources:
  none
Land use:
arable land:
  0%
permanent crops:
  0%
meadows and pastures:
  0%
forest and woodland:
  0%
other:
  100%
Irrigated land:
  0 sq km
Environment:
current issues:
  NA
natural hazards:
  volcanic activity resumed in 1970
international agreements:
  NA
Note:
  barren volcanic island with some moss and grass

@Jan Mayen, People

Population:
  no permanent inhabitants; note - there are personnel who man the LORAN
  C base and the weather and coastal services radio station

@Jan Mayen, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
  none
conventional short form:
  Jan Mayen
Digraph:
  JN
Type:
  territory of Norway
Capital:
  none; administered from Oslo, Norway, through a governor (sysselmann)
  resident in Longyearbyen (Svalbard)
Independence:
  none (territory of Norway)

@Jan Mayen, Economy

Overview:
  Jan Mayen is a volcanic island with no exploitable natural resources.
  Economic activity is limited to providing services for employees of
  Norway's radio and meteorological stations located on the island.
Electricity:
capacity:
  15,000 kW
production:
  40 million kWh
consumption per capita:
  NA (1992)

@Jan Mayen, Communications

Highways:
total:
  NA
paved:
  NA
unpaved:
  NA
Ports:
  none; offshore anchorage only
Airports:
total:
  1
usable:
  1
with permanent-surface runways:
  0
with runways over 3,659 m:
  0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  0
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  1
Telecommunications:
  radio and meteorological station

@Jan Mayen, Defense Forces

Note:
  defense is the responsibility of Norway


@Japan, Geography

Location:
  Eastern Asia, off the southeast coast of Russia and east of the Korean
  peninsula
Map references:
  Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
  377,835 sq km
land area:
  374,744 sq km
comparative area:
  slightly smaller than California
note:
  includes Bonin Islands (Ogasawara-gunto), Daito-shoto, Minami-jima,
  Okinotori-shima, Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-shoto), and Volcano Islands
  (Kazan-retto)
Land boundaries:
  0 km
Coastline:
  29,751 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone:
  200 nm
territorial sea:
  12 nm; 3 nm in the international straits - La Perouse or Soya,
  Tsugaru, Osumi, and Eastern and Western Channels of the Korea or
  Tsushima Strait
International disputes:
  islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotau, and the Habomai group
  occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945, now administered by Russia,
  claimed by Japan; Liancourt Rocks disputed with South Korea;
  Senkaku-shoto (Senkaku Islands) claimed by China and Taiwan
Climate:
  varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north
Terrain:
  mostly rugged and mountainous
Natural resources:
  negligible mineral resources, fish
Land use:
arable land:
  13%
permanent crops:
  1%
meadows and pastures:
  1%
forest and woodland:
  67%
other:
  18%
Irrigated land:
  28,680 sq km (1989)
Environment:
current issues:
  air pollution from power plant emissions results in acid rain;
  acidification of lakes and reservoirs degrading water quality and
  threatening aquatic life
natural hazards:
  many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1,500 seismic
  occurrences (mostly tremors) every year; subject to tsunamis
international agreements:
  party to - Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered
  Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping,
  Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical
  Timber, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified -
  Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Law of the Sea
Note:
  strategic location in northeast Asia

@Japan, People

Population:
  125,106,937 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
  0.32% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
  10.49 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
  7.31 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  4.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
  79.31 years
male:
  76.47 years
female:
  82.28 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  1.55 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
  Japanese (singular and plural)
adjective:
  Japanese
Ethnic divisions:
  Japanese 99.4%, other 0.6% (mostly Korean)
Religions:
  observe both Shinto and Buddhist 84%, other 16% (including 0.7%
  Christian)
Languages:
  Japanese
Literacy:
  age 15 and over can read and write (1970 est.)
total population:
  99%
male:
  NA%
female:
  NA%
Labor force:
  63.33 million
by occupation:
  trade and services 54%, manufacturing, mining, and construction 33%,
  agriculture, forestry, and fishing 7%, government 3% (1988)

@Japan, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
  none
conventional short form:
  Japan
Digraph:
  JA
Type:
  constitutional monarchy
Capital:
  Tokyo
Administrative divisions:
  47 prefectures; Aichi, Akita, Aomori, Chiba, Ehime, Fukui, Fukuoka,
  Fukushima, Gifu, Gumma, Hiroshima, Hokkaido, Hyogo, Ibaraki, Ishikawa,
  Iwate, Kagawa, Kagoshima, Kanagawa, Kochi, Kumamoto, Kyoto, Mie,
  Miyagi, Miyazaki, Nagano, Nagasaki, Nara, Niigata, Oita, Okayama,
  Okinawa, Osaka, Saga, Saitama, Shiga, Shimane, Shizuoka, Tochigi,
  Tokushima, Tokyo, Tottori, Toyama, Wakayama, Yamagata, Yamaguchi,
  Yamanashi
Independence:
  660 BC (traditional founding by Emperor Jimmu)
National holiday:
  Birthday of the Emperor, 23 December (1933)
Constitution:
  3 May 1947
Legal system:
  modeled after European civil law system with English-American
  influence; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court;
  accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage:
  20 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
  Emperor AKIHITO (since 7 January 1989)
head of government:
  Prime Minister Tsutomu HATA (since 25 April 1994); Deputy Prime
  Minister (vacant)
cabinet:
  Cabinet; appointed by the prime minister
Legislative branch:
  bicameral Diet (Kokkai)
House of Councillors (Sangi-in):
  elections last held on 26 July 1992 (next to be held NA July 1995);
  results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (252 total) LDP 95,
  SDPJ 68, Shin Ryoku fu-Kai 37, CGP 24, JCP 11, other 17
House of Representatives (Shugi-in):
  elections last held on 18 July 1993 (next to be held by NA); results -
  percent of vote by party NA; seats - (511 total) LDP 206, SDPJ 74,
  Shinseito 62, CGP 52, JNP 37, DSP 19, JCP 15, Sakigake 15, others 19,
  independents 10, vacant 2
Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
  Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Yohei KONO, president; Yoshiro MORI,
  secretary general; Social Democratic Party of Japan (SDPJ), Tomiichi
  MURAYAMA; Democratic Socialist Party (DSP), Keigo OUCHI, chairman;
  Japan Communist Party (JCP), Tetsuzo FUWA, Presidium chairman; Komeito
  (Clean Government Party, CGP), Koshiro ISHIDA, chairman; Japan New
  Party (JNP), Morihiro HOSOKAWA, chairman; Shinseito (Japan Renewal
  Party, JRP), Tsutomu HATA, chairman; Ichiro OZAWA, secretary general;
  Sakigake (Harbinger), Masayoshi TAKEMURA, chairman; Mirai (Future
  Party), Michihiko KANO, chairman; The Liberal Party, Koji KAKIZAWA,
  chairman
note:
  Shin Ryoku fu-Kai is a new, upper house only, parliamentary alliance
  which includes the JRP, JNP, DSP, and a minor labor group
Member of:
  AfDB, AG (observer), Australia Group, APEC, AsDB, BIS, CCC, COCOM, CP,
  CSCE (observer), EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, 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 (observer), ISO, ITU,
  LORCS, MTCR, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
  UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UNTAC, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
  Ambassador Takakazu KURIYAMA
chancery:
  2520 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
  [phone]
FAX:
  [phone]
consulate(s) general:
  Agana (Guam), Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Honolulu,
  Houston, Kansas City (Missouri), Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New
  York, Portland (Oregon), San Francisco, and Seattle
consulate(s):
  Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands)
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
  Ambassador Walter F. MONDALE
embassy:
  10-5, Akasaka 1-chome, Minato-ku (107), Tokyo
mailing address:
  Unit 45004, Box 258, Tokyo; APO AP 96337-0001
telephone:
  [81] (3) 3224-5000
FAX:
  [81] (3) 3505-1862
consulate(s) general:
  Naha (Okinawa), Osaka-Kobe, Sapporo
consulate(s):
  Fukuoka
Flag:
  white with a large red disk (representing the sun without rays) in the
  center

@Japan, Economy

Overview:
  Government-industry cooperation, a strong work ethic, mastery of high
  technology, and a comparatively small defense allocation have helped
  Japan advance with extraordinary rapidity to the rank of second most
  powerful economy in the world. Industry, the most important sector of
  the economy, is heavily dependent on imported raw materials and fuels.
  Self-sufficient in rice, Japan must import about 50% of its
  requirements of other grain and fodder crops. Japan maintains one of
  the world's largest fishing fleets and accounts for nearly 15% of the
  global catch. Overall economic growth has been spectacular: a 10%
  average in the 1960s, a 5% average in the 1970s and 1980s. Economic
  growth came to a halt in 1992-93 largely because of contractionary
  domestic policies intended to wring speculative excesses from the
  stock and real estate markets. At the same time, the stronger yen and
  slower global growth are containing export growth. Unemployment and
  inflation remain remarkably low in comparison with the other
  industrialized nations. Japan continues to run a huge trade surplus -
  $120 billion in 1993, up more than 10% from the year earlier - which
  supports extensive investment in foreign assets. The new prime
  minister HATA in early 1994 reiterated previous governments' vows of
  administrative and economic reform, including reduction in the trade
  surplus, but his weak coalition government faces strong resistance
  from traditional interest groups. The crowding of the habitable land
  area and the aging of the population are two major long-run problems.
National product:
  GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $2.549 trillion (1993)
National product real growth rate:
  0% (1993)
National product per capita:
  $20,400 (1993)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  1.3% (1993)
Unemployment rate:
  2.5% (1993)
Budget:
revenues:
  $490 billion
expenditures:
  $579 billion, including capital expenditures (public works only) of
  about $68 billion (FY93)
Exports:
  $360.9 billion (f.o.b., 1993)
commodities:
  manufactures 97% (including machinery 46%, motor vehicles 20%,
  consumer electronics 10%)
partners:
  Southeast Asia 33%, US 29%, Western Europe 18%, China 5%
Imports:
  $240.7 billion (c.i.f., 1993)
commodities:
  manufactures 52%, fossil fuels 20%, foodstuffs and raw materials 28%
partners:
  Southeast Asia 25%, US 23%, Western Europe 15%, China 9%
External debt:
  $NA
Industrial production:
  growth rate -4% (1993); accounts for 30% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
  196,000,000 kW
production:
  835 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
  6,700 kWh (1992)
Industries:
  steel and non-ferrous metallurgy, heavy electrical equipment,
  construction and mining equipment, motor vehicles and parts,
  electronic and telecommunication equipment and components, machine
  tools and automated production systems, locomotives and railroad
  rolling stock, shipbuilding, chemicals, textiles, food processing
Agriculture:
  accounts for only 2% of GDP; highly subsidized and protected sector,
  with crop yields among highest in world; principal crops - rice, sugar
  beets, vegetables, fruit; animal products include pork, poultry, dairy
  and eggs; about 50% self-sufficient in food production; shortages of
  wheat, corn, soybeans; world's largest fish catch of 10 million metric
  tons in 1991
Economic aid:
donor:
  ODA and OOF commitments (1970-93), $123 billion
note:
  ODA outlay of $9.9 billion in 1994 (est.)
Currency:
  yen (Y)
Exchange rates:
  yen (Y) per US$1 - 111.51 (January 1994), 111.20 (1993), 126.65
  (1992), 134.71 (1991), 144.79 (1990), 137.96 (1989)
Fiscal year:
  1 April - 31 March

@Japan, Communications

Railroads:
  27,327 km total; 2,012 km 1.435-meter standard gauge and 25,315 km
  predominantly 1.067-meter narrow gauge; 5,724 km doubletrack and
  multitrack sections, 9,038 km 1.067-meter narrow-gauge electrified,
  2,012 km 1.435-meter standard-gauge electrified (1987)
Highways:
total:
  1,115,609 km
paved:
  782,042 km (including 4,869 km of national expressways)
unpaved:
  gravel, crushed stone, or earth 333,567 km (1991)
Inland waterways:
  about 1,770 km; seagoing craft ply all coastal inland seas
Pipelines:
  crude oil 84 km; petroleum products 322 km; natural gas 1,800 km
Ports:
  Chiba, Muroran, Kitakyushu, Kobe, Tomakomai, Nagoya, Osaka, Tokyo,
  Yokkaichi, Yokohama, Kawasaki, Niigata, Fushiki-Toyama, Shimizu,
  Himeji, Wakayama-Shimozu, Shimonoseki, Tokuyama-Shimomatsu
Merchant marine:
  926 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 20,383,101 GRT31,007,515 DWT,
  bulk 225, cargo 76, chemical tanker 9, combination ore/oil 9,
  container 44, liquefied gas 42, multi-function large load carrier 1,
  oil tanker 265, passenger 10, passenger cargo 3, refrigerated cargo
  66, roll-on/roll-off cargo 44, short-sea passenger 36, specialized
  tanker 2, vehicle carrier 94
note:
  Japan also owns a large flag of convenience fleet, including up to 38%
  of the total number of ships under the Panamanian flag
Airports:
total:
  167
usable:
  165
with permanent-surface runways:
  137
with runways over 3,659 m:
  2
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  34
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  52
Telecommunications:
  excellent domestic and international service; 64,000,000 telephones;
  broadcast stations - 318 AM, 58 FM, 12,350 TV (196 major - 1 kw or
  greater); satellite earth stations - 4 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT and 1
  Indian Ocean INTELSAT; submarine cables to US (via Guam), Philippines,
  China, and Russia

@Japan, Defense Forces

Branches:
  Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (Army), Japan Maritime Self-Defense
  Force (Navy), Japan Air Self-Defense Force (Air Force), Maritime
  Safety Agency (Coast Guard)
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 32,044,032; fit for military service 27,597,444; reach
  military age (18) annually 953,928 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $45.5 billion, less than 1% of GDP (FY94/95
  est.)


@Jarvis Island

Header
Affiliation:
  (territory of the US)

@Jarvis Island, Geography

Location:
  Oceania, Polynesia, in the South Pacific Ocean, 2,090 km south of
  Honolulu, just south of the Equator, about halfway between Hawaii and
  the Cook Islands
Map references:
  Oceania
Area:
total area:
  4.5 sq km
land area:
  4.5 sq km
comparative area:
  about 7.5 times the size of the Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
  0 km
Coastline:
  8 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
International disputes:
  none
Climate:
  tropical; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun
Terrain:
  sandy, coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing reef
Natural resources:
  guano (deposits worked until late 1800s)
Land use:
arable land:
  0%
permanent crops:
  0%
meadows and pastures:
  0%
forest and woodland:
  0%
other:
  100%
Irrigated land:
  0 sq km
Environment:
current issues:
  lacks fresh water
natural hazards:
  NA
international agreements:
  NA
Note:
  sparse bunch grass, prostrate vines, and low-growing shrubs; primarily
  a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds,
  and marine wildlife; feral cats

@Jarvis Island, People

Population:
  uninhabited; note - Millersville settlement on western side of island
  occasionally used as a weather station from 1935 until World War II,
  when it was abandoned; reoccupied in 1957 during the International
  Geophysical Year by scientists who left in 1958; public entry is by
  special-use permit only and generally restricted to scientists and
  educators

@Jarvis Island, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
  none
conventional short form:
  Jarvis Island
Digraph:
  DQ
Type:
  unincorporated territory of the US administered by the Fish and
  Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the
  National Wildlife Refuge System
Capital:
  none; administered from Washington, DC

@Jarvis Island, Economy

Overview:
  no economic activity

@Jarvis Island, Communications

Ports:
  none; offshore anchorage only - one boat landing area in the middle of
  the west coast and another near the southwest corner of the island
Note:
  there is a day beacon near the middle of the west coast

@Jarvis Island, Defense Forces

  defense is the responsibility of the US; visited annually by the US
  Coast Guard


@Jersey

Header

Affiliation:
  (British crown dependency)

@Jersey, Geography

Location:
  Western Europe, 27 km from France in the English Channel
Map references:
  Europe
Area:
total area:
  117 sq km
land area:
  117 sq km
comparative area:
  about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
  0 km
Coastline:
  70 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone:
  200 nm
territorial sea:
  3 nm
International disputes:
  none
Climate:
  temperate; mild winters and cool summers
Terrain:
  gently rolling plain with low, rugged hills along north coast
Natural resources:
  agricultural land
Land use:
arable land:
  57%
permanent crops:
  NA%
meadows and pastures:
  NA%
forest and woodland:
  NA%
other:
  NA%
Irrigated land:
  NA sq km
Environment:
current issues:
  NA
natural hazards:
  NA
international agreements:
  NA
Note:
  largest and southernmost of Channel Islands; about 30% of population
  concentrated in Saint Helier

@Jersey, People

Population:
  86,048 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
  0.7% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
  12.81 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
  10.1 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
  4.25 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  4.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
  76.64 years
male:
  73.54 years
female:
  80.09 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  1.43 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
  Channel Islander(s)
adjective:
  Channel Islander
Ethnic divisions:
  UK and Norman-French descent
Religions:
  Anglican, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Congregational New Church,
  Methodist, Presbyterian
Languages:
  English (official), French (official), Norman-French dialect spoken in
  country districts
Literacy:
total population:
  NA%
male:
  NA%
female:
  NA%
Labor force:
  NA

@Jersey, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
  Bailiwick of Jersey
conventional short form:
  Jersey
Digraph:
  JE
Type:
  British crown dependency
Capital:
  Saint Helier
Administrative divisions:
  none (British crown dependency)
Independence:
  none (British crown dependency)
National holiday:
  Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)
Constitution:
  unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
Legal system:
  English law and local statute
Suffrage:
  universal adult at age NA
Executive branch:
Chief of State:
  Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
Head of Government:
  Lieutenant Governor and Commander in Chief Air Marshal Sir John SUTTON
  (since NA 1990); Bailiff Sir Peter L. CRILL (since NA)
cabinet:
  committees; appointed by the States
Legislative branch:
  unicameral
Assembly of the States:
  elections last held NA (next to be held NA); results - no percent of
  vote by party since all are independents; seats - (56 total, 52
  elected) 52 independents
Judicial branch:
  Royal Court
Political parties and leaders:
  none; all independents
Member of:
  none
Diplomatic representation in US:
  none (British crown dependency)
US diplomatic representation:
  none (British crown dependency)
Flag:
  white with the diagonal red cross of Saint Patrick (patron saint of
  Ireland) extending to the corners of the flag

@Jersey, Economy

Overview:
  The economy is based largely on financial services, agriculture, and
  tourism. Potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes, and especially flowers are
  important export crops, shipped mostly to the UK. The Jersey breed of
  dairy cattle is known worldwide and represents an important export
  earner. Milk products go to the UK and other EU countries. In 1986 the
  finance sector overtook tourism as the main contributor to GDP,
  accounting for 40% of the island's output. In recent years the
  government has encouraged light industry to locate in Jersey, with the
  result that an electronics industry has developed alongside the
  traditional manufacturing of knitwear. All raw material and energy
  requirements are imported, as well as a large share of Jersey's food
  needs.
National product:
  GDP $NA
National product real growth rate:
  8% (1987 est.)
National product per capita:
  $NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  8% (1988 est.)
Unemployment rate:
  NA%
Budget:
revenues:
  $308 million
expenditures:
  $284.4 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1985)
Exports:
  $NA
commodities:
  light industrial and electrical goods, foodstuffs, textiles
partners:
  UK
Imports:
  $NA
commodities:
  machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, foodstuffs,
  mineral fuels, chemicals
partners:
  UK
External debt:
  $NA
Industrial production:
  growth rate NA%
Electricity:
capacity:
  50,000 kW standby
production:
  power supplied by France
consumption per capita:
  NA (1992)
Industries:
  tourism, banking and finance, dairy
Agriculture:
  potatoes, cauliflowers, tomatoes; dairy and cattle farming
Economic aid:
  none
Currency:
  1 Jersey pound (#J) = 100 pence
Exchange rates:
  Jersey pounds (#J) per US$1 - 0.6699 (January 1994), 0.6658 (1993),
  0.5664 (1992), 0.5652 (1991), 0.5603 (1990), 0.6099 (1989); the Jersey
  pound is at par with the British pound
Fiscal year:
  1 April - 31 March

@Jersey, Communications

Highways:
total:
  NA
paved:
  NA
unpaved:
  NA
Ports:
  Saint Helier, Gorey, Saint Aubin
Airports:
total:
  1
usable:
  1
with permanent-surface runways:
  1
with runways over 3,659 m:
  0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  0
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  1
Telecommunications:
  63,700 telephones; broadcast stations - 1 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 3 submarine
  cables

@Jersey, Defense Forces

Note:
  defense is the responsibility of the UK


@Johnston Atoll

Header

Affiliation:
  (territory of the US)

@Johnston Atoll, Geography

Location:
  Oceania, Polynesia, in the North Pacific Ocean, 1,430 km
  west-southwest of Honolulu, about one-third of the way between Hawaii
  and the Marshall Islands
Map references:
  Oceania
Area:
total area:
  2.8 sq km
land area:
  2.8 sq km
comparative area:
  about 4.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
  0 km
Coastline:
  10 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
International disputes:
  none
Climate:
  tropical, but generally dry; consistent northeast trade winds with
  little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain:
  mostly flat with a maximum elevation of 4 meters
Natural resources:
  guano (deposits worked until about 1890)
Land use:
arable land:
  0%
permanent crops:
  0%
meadows and pastures:
  0%
forest and woodland:
  0%
other:
  100%
Irrigated land:
  0 sq km
Environment:
current issues:
  NA
natural hazards:
  NA
international agreements:
  NA
Note:
  strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean; Johnston Island and
  Sand Island are natural islands; North Island (Akau) and East Island
  (Hikina) are manmade islands formed from coral dredging; closed to the
  public; former nuclear weapons test site; site of Johnston Atoll
  Chemical Agent Disposal System (JACADS); some low-growing vegetation

@Johnston Atoll, People

Population:
  327 (July 1994 est.)

@Johnston Atoll, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
  none
conventional short form:
  Johnston Atoll
Digraph:
  JQ
Type:
  unincorportated territory of the US administered by the US Defense
  Nuclear Agency (DNA) and managed cooperatively by DNA and the Fish and
  Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the
  National Wildlife Refuge system
Capital:
  none; administered from Washington, DC
Diplomatic representation in US:
  none (territory of the US)
US diplomatic representation:
  none (territory of the US)
Flag:
  the flag of the US is used

@Johnston Atoll, Economy

Overview:
  Economic activity is limited to providing services to US military
  personnel and contractors located on the island. All food and
  manufactured goods must be imported.
Electricity:
  supplied by the management and operations contractor

@Johnston Atoll, Communications

Highways:
total:
  NA
paved:
  NA
unpaved:
  NA
Airports:
total:
  1
usable:
  1
with permanent-surface runways:
  1
with runways over 3,659 m:
  0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  1 with TACAN and beacon
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  0
Telecommunications:
  excellent system including 60-channel submarine cable, Autodin/SRT
  terminal, digital telephone switch, Military Affiliated Radio System
  (MARS station), commercial satellite television system, and UHF/VHF
  air-ground radio

@Johnston Atoll, Defense Forces

Note:
  defense is the responsibility of the US


@Jordan

Header
Affiliation:
  (also see separate West Bank entry)

@Jordan, Geography

Location:
  Middle East, between Israel and Saudi Arabia
Map references:
  Africa, Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
  89,213 sq km
land area:
  88,884 sq km
comparative area:
  slightly smaller than Indiana
Land boundaries:
  total 1,619 km, Iraq 181 km, Israel 238 km, Saudi Arabia 728 km, Syria
  375 km, West Bank 97 km
Coastline:
  26 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea:
  3 nm
International disputes:
  differences with Israel over the location of the 1949 Armistice Line
  that separates the two countries; water-sharing issues with Israel
Climate:
  mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April)
Terrain:
  mostly desert plateau in east, highland area in west; Great Rift
  Valley separates East and West Banks of the Jordan River
Natural resources:
  phosphates, potash, shale oil
Land use:
arable land:
  4%
permanent crops:
  0.5%
meadows and pastures:
  1%
forest and woodland:
  0.5%
other:
  94%
Irrigated land:
  570 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
  lack of adequate natural water resources; deforestation; overgrazing;
  soil erosion; desertification
natural hazards:
  NA
international agreements:
  party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous
  Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,
  Wetlands

@Jordan, People

Population:
  3,961,194 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
  3.5% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
  38.77 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
  4.22 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
  0.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  32.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
  71.85 years
male:
  70.04 years
female:
  73.77 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  5.64 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
  Jordanian(s)
adjective:
  Jordanian
Ethnic divisions:
  Arab 98%, Circassian 1%, Armenian 1%
Religions:
  Sunni Muslim 92%, Christian 8%
Languages:
  Arabic (official), English widely understood among upper and middle
  classes
Literacy:
  age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population:
  80%
male:
  89%
female:
  70%
Labor force:
  600,000 (1992)
by occupation:
  industry 11.4%, commerce, restaurants, and hotels 10.5%, construction
  10.0%, transport and communications 8.7%, agriculture 7.4%, other
  services 52.0% (1992)

@Jordan, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
  Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
conventional short form:
  Jordan
local long form:
  Al Mamlakah al Urduniyah al Hashimiyah
local short form:
  Al Urdun
former:
  Transjordan
Digraph:
  JO
Type:
  constitutional monarchy
Capital:
  Amman
Administrative divisions:
  8 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Balqa', Al Karak,
  Al Mafraq, 'Amman, At Tafilah, Az Zarqa', Irbid, Ma'an
Independence:
  25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British
  administration)
National holiday:
  Independence Day, 25 May (1946)
Constitution:
  8 January 1952
Legal system:
  based on Islamic law and French codes; judicial review of legislative
  acts in a specially provided High Tribunal; has not accepted
  compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
  20 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
  King HUSSEIN Bin Talal Al Hashimi (since 11 August 1952)
head of government:
  Prime Minister Abd al-Salam al-MAJALI (since May 1993)
cabinet:
  Cabinet appointed by the monarch
Legislative branch:
  bicameral National Assembly (Majlis al-'Umma)
House of Notables (Majlis al-A'ayan):
  consists of a 40-member body appointed by the king from designated
  categories of public figures
House of Representatives:
  elections last held 8 November 1993 (next to be held NA November
  1997); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (80 total)
  Muslim Brotherhood (fundamentalist) 16, Independent Islamic bloc
  (generally traditionalist) 6, Radical leftist 3, pro-government 55
note:
  the House of Representatives has been convened and dissolved by the
  King several times since 1974 and in November 1989 the first
  parliamentary elections in 22 years were held
Judicial branch:
  Court of Cassation
Political parties and leaders:
  NA; note - political parties were legalized in December 1992
Member of:
  ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
  ICAO, ICC, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
  IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OIC, PCA,
  UN, UNAVEM II, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOSOM, UNRWA, UNPROFOR, UNTAC,
  UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
  Ambassador Fayiz A. TARAWNAH
chancery:
  3504 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
  [phone]
FAX:
  [phone]
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
  Ambassador Wesley EGAN, Jr.
embassy:
  Jabel Amman, Amman
mailing address:
  P. O. Box 354, Amman, or APO AE 09892-0200
telephone:
  [962] (6) 820-101
Flag:
  three equal horizontal bands of black (top), white, and green with a
  red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bearing a small white
  seven-pointed star; the seven points on the star represent the seven
  fundamental laws of the Koran

@Jordan, Economy

Overview:
  Jordan benefited from increased Arab aid during the oil boom of the
  late 1970s and early 1980s, when its annual real GNP growth averaged
  more than 10%. In the remainder of the 1980s, however, reductions in
  both Arab aid and worker remittances slowed real economic growth to an
  average of roughly 2% per year. Imports - mainly oil, capital goods,
  consumer durables, and food - outstripped exports, with the difference
  covered by aid, remittances, and borrowing. In mid-1989, the Jordanian
  Government began debt-rescheduling negotiations and agreed to
  implement an IMF-supported program designed to gradually reduce the
  budget deficit and implement badly needed structural reforms. The
  Persian Gulf crisis that began in August 1990, however, aggravated
  Jordan's already serious economic problems, forcing the government to
  shelve the IMF program, stop most debt payments, and suspend
  rescheduling negotiations. Aid from Gulf Arab states, worker
  remittances and trade contracted, and refugees flooded the country,
  producing serious balance-of-payments problems, stunting GDP growth,
  and straining government resources. The economy rebounded in 1992,
  largely due to the influx of capital repatriated by workers returning
  from the Gulf, but the recovery has been losing steam since mid-1993.
  The government is implementing the reform program adopted in 1992 and
  continues to secure rescheduling of its heavy foreign debt.
National product:
  GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $11.5 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  5% (1993 est.)
National product per capita:
  $3,000 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  5% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate:
  20% (1993 est.)
Budget:
revenues:
  $1.7 billion
expenditures:
  $1.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $420 million (1993)
Exports:
  $1.4 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities:
  phosphates, fertilizers, potash, agricultural products, manufactures
partners:
  India, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, EC, Indonesia, UAE
Imports:
  $3.2 billion (c.i.f., 1993 est.)
commodities:
  crude oil, machinery, transport equipment, food, live animals,
  manufactured goods
partners:
  EC, US, Iraq, Japan, Turkey
External debt:
  $6.8 billion (December 1993 est.)
Industrial production:
  growth rate 3% (1993 est.); accounts for 20% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
  1,030,000 kW
production:
  3.814 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
  1,070 kWh (1992)
Industries:
  phosphate mining, petroleum refining, cement, potash, light
  manufacturing
Agriculture:
  accounts for about 10% of GDP; principal products are wheat, barley,
  citrus fruit, tomatoes, melons, olives; livestock - sheep, goats,
  poultry; large net importer of food
Economic aid:
recipient:
  US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.7 billion; Western
  (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.5
  billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $9.5 billion; Communist
  countries (1970-89), $44 million
Currency:
  1 Jordanian dinar (JD) = 1,000 fils
Exchange rates:
  Jordanian dinars (JD) per US$1 - 0.7019 (February 1994), 0.6928
  (1993), 0.6797 (1992), 0.6808 (1991), 0.6636 (1990), 0.5704 (1989)
Fiscal year:
  calendar year

@Jordan, Communications

Railroads:
  789 km 1.050-meter gauge, single track
Highways:
total:
  7,500 km
paved:
  asphalt 5,500 km
unpaved:
  gravel, crushed stone 2,000 km
Pipelines:
  crude oil 209 km
Ports:
  Al 'Aqabah
Merchant marine:
  3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 71,566 GRT/129,351 DWT, bulk 1,
  cargo 1, oil tanker 1
Airports:
total:
  16
usable:
  14
with permanent-surface runways:
  13
with runways over 3,659 m:
  1
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  12
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  0
Telecommunications:
  adequate telephone system of microwave, cable, and radio links; 81,500
  telephones; broadcast stations - 5 AM, 7 FM, 8 TV; satellite earth
  stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1
  ARABSAT, 1 domestic TV receive-only; coaxial cable and microwave to
  Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Syria; microwave link to Lebanon is inactive;
  participant in MEDARABTEL, a microwave radio relay network linking
  Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco

@Jordan, Defense Forces

Branches:
  Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF) includes Royal Jordanian Land Force,
  Royal Jordanian Air Force, Royal Naval Force; Ministry of the
  Interior's Public Security Force (falls under JAF only in wartime or
  crisis situations)
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 966,420; fit for military service 685,112; reach
  military age (18) annually 42,776 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $435 million, 7.9% of GDP (1993)