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

Text File | 1996-01-10 | 154KB | 4,779 lines

@Uganda, Geography

Location:
  Eastern Africa, between Kenya and Zaire
Map references:
  Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
  236,040 sq km
land area:
  199,710 sq km
comparative area:
  slightly smaller than Oregon
Land boundaries:
  total 2,698 km, Kenya 933 km, Rwanda 169 km, Sudan 435 km, Tanzania
  396 km, Zaire 765 km
Coastline:
  0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
  none; landlocked
International disputes:
  none
Climate:
  tropical; generally rainy with two dry seasons (December to February,
  June to August); semiarid in northeast
Terrain:
  mostly plateau with rim of mountains
Natural resources:
  copper, cobalt, limestone, salt
Land use:
arable land:
  23%
permanent crops:
  9%
meadows and pastures:
  25%
forest and woodland:
  30%
other:
  13%
Irrigated land:
  90 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
  draining of wetlands for agricultural use; deforestation; overgrazing;
  soil erosion
natural hazards:
  NA
international agreements:
  party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of
  the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
  Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Environmental
  Modification
Note:
  landlocked

@Uganda, People

Population:
  19,121,934 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
  2.42% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
  48.8 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
  23.68 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
  -0.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  112.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
  37.46 years
male:
  37.15 years
female:
  37.79 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  6.77 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
  Ugandan(s)
adjective:
  Ugandan
Ethnic divisions:
  Baganda 17%, Karamojong 12%, Basogo 8%, Iteso 8%, Langi 6%, Rwanda 6%,
  Bagisu 5%, Acholi 4%, Lugbara 4%, Bunyoro 3%, Batobo 3%, European,
  Asian, Arab 1%, other 23%
Religions:
  Roman Catholic 33%, Protestant 33%, Muslim 16%, indigenous beliefs 18%
Languages:
  English (official), Luganda, Swahili, Bantu languages, Nilotic
  languages
Literacy:
  age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population:
  48%
male:
  62%
female:
  35%
Labor force:
  4.5 million (est.)
by occupation:
  agriculture over 80%
note:
  50% of population of working age (1983)

@Uganda, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
  Republic of Uganda
conventional short form:
  Uganda
Digraph:
  UG
Type:
  republic
Capital:
  Kampala
Administrative divisions:
  39 districts; Apac, Arua, Bundibugyo, Bushenyi, Gulu, Hoima, Iganga,
  Jinja, Kabale, Kabarole, Kalangala, Kampala, Kamuli, Kapchorwa,
  Kasese, Kibale, Kiboga, Kisoro, Kitgum, Kotido, Kumi, Lira, Luwero,
  Masaka, Masindi, Mbale, Mbarara, Moroto, Moyo, Mpigi, Mubende, Mukono,
  Nebbi, Ntungamo, Pallisa, Rakai, Rukungiri, Sototi, Tororo
Independence:
  9 October 1962 (from UK)
National holiday:
  Independence Day, 9 October (1962)
Constitution:
  8 September 1967, in process of constitutional revision
Legal system:
  government plans to restore system based on English common law and
  customary law and reinstitute a normal judicial system; accepts
  compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
  President Lt. Gen. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI (since 29 January 1986);
  Vice President Samson Babi Mululu KISEKKA (since NA January 1991)
head of government:
  Prime Minister George Cosmas ADYEBO (since NA January 1991)
cabinet:
  Cabinet; appointed by the president
Legislative branch:
  unicameral
National Resistance Council:
  elections last held 11-28 February 1989 (next to be held by January
  1995); results - NRM was the only party; seats - (278 total, 210
  indirectly elected) 210 members elected without party affiliation
Judicial branch:
  Court of Appeal, High Court
Political parties and leaders:
  only party - National Resistance Movement (NRM), Yoweri MUSEVENI
note:
  Ugandan People's Congress (UPC), Milton OBOTE; Democratic Party (DP),
  Paul SSEMOGEERE; and Conservative Party (CP), Joshua S. MAYANJA-NKANGI
  continue to exist but are all proscribed from conducting public
  political activities
Other political or pressure groups:
  Uganda People's Front (UPF); Lord's Resistance Army (LRA); Ruwenzori
  Movement
Member of:
  ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, EADB, ECA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IGADD, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC,
  IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOSOM, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
  Ambassador Stephen Kapimpina KATENTA-APULI
chancery:
  5909 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011
telephone:
  [phone] through 7102 and 726-0416
FAX:
  [phone]
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
  Ambassador Johnnie CARSON
embassy:
  Parliament Avenue, Kampala
mailing address:
  P. O. Box 7007, Kampala
telephone:
  [256] (41) 259792, 259793, 259795
Flag:
  six equal horizontal bands of black (top), yellow, red, black, yellow,
  and red; a white disk is superimposed at the center and depicts a
  red-crested crane (the national symbol) facing the staff side

@Uganda, Economy

Overview:
  Uganda has substantial natural resources, including fertile soils,
  regular rainfall, and sizable mineral deposits of copper and cobalt.
  The economy has been devastated by widespread political instability,
  mismanagement, and civil war since independence in 1962. (GDP remains
  below the levels of the early 1970s, as does industrial production.)
  Agriculture is the most important sector of the economy, employing
  over 80% of the work force. Coffee is the major export crop and
  accounts for the bulk of export revenues. Since 1986 the government
  has acted to rehabilitate and stabilize the economy by undertaking
  currency reform, raising producer prices on export crops, increasing
  prices of petroleum products, and improving civil service wages. The
  policy changes are especially aimed at dampening inflation, which was
  running at over 300% in 1987, and boosting production and export
  earnings. In 1990-93, the economy has turned in a solid performance
  based on continued investment in the rehabilitation of infrastructure,
  improved incentives for production and exports, and gradually
  improving domestic security.
National product:
  GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $24.1 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  6% (1993 est.)
National product per capita:
  $1,200 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  41.5% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate:
  NA%
Budget:
revenues:
  $365 million
expenditures:
  $545 million, including capital expenditures of $165 million (1989
  est.)
Exports:
  $150 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
commodities:
  coffee 97%, cotton, tea
partners:
  US 25%, UK 18%, France 11%, Spain 10%
Imports:
  $513 million (c.i.f., 1992 est.)
commodities:
  petroleum products, machinery, cotton piece goods, metals,
  transportation equipment, food
partners:
  Kenya 25%, UK 14%, Italy 13%
External debt:
  $1.9 billion (1991 est.)
Industrial production:
  growth rate 8% (1992 est.); accounts for 5% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
  200,000 kW
production:
  610 million kWh
consumption per capita:
  30 kWh (1991)
Industries:
  sugar, brewing, tobacco, cotton textiles, cement
Agriculture:
  mainly subsistence; accounts for 57% of GDP and over 80% of labor
  force; cash crops - coffee, tea, cotton, tobacco; food crops -
  cassava, potatoes, corn, millet, pulses; livestock products - beef,
  goat meat, milk, poultry; self-sufficient in food
Economic aid:
recipient:
  US commitments, including Ex-Im (1970-89), $145 million; Western
  (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.4
  billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $60 million; Communist
  countries (1970-89), $169 million
Currency:
  1 Ugandan shilling (USh) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
  Ugandan shillings (USh) per US$1 - 1,165.0 (November 1993), 1.133.8
  (1992), 734.0 (1991), 428.85 (1990), 223.1 (1989)
Fiscal year:
  1 July - 30 June

@Uganda, Communications

Railroads:
  1,300 km, 1.000-meter-gauge single track
Highways:
total:
  26,200 km
paved:
  1,970 km
unpaved:
  gravel, crushed stone 5,849 km; earth, tracks 18,381 km
Inland waterways:
  Lake Victoria, Lake Albert, Lake Kyoga, Lake George, Lake Edward;
  Victoria Nile, Albert Nile; principal inland water ports are at Jinja
  and Port Bell, both on Lake Victoria
Merchant marine:
  3 roll-on/roll-off cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,091
  GRT/NA DWT
Airports:
total:
  31
usable:
  23
with permanent-surface runways:
  5
with runways over 3,659 m:
  1
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  3
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  11
Telecommunications:
  fair system with microwave and radio communications stations;
  broadcast stations - 10 AM, no FM, 9 TV; satellite communications
  ground stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT

@Uganda, Defense Forces

Branches:
  National Resistance Army (NRA); includes Air Force and Navy, Local
  Defense Units (LDU)
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 4,138,087; fit for military service 2,248,232
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $NA, 15% of budget (FY89/90)


@Ukraine, Geography

Location:
  Eastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Poland and Russia
Map references:
  Asia, Commonwealth of Independent States - European States, Europe,
  Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
  603,700 sq km
land area:
  603,700 sq km
comparative area:
  slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries:
  total 4,558 km, Belarus 891 km, Hungary 103 km, Moldova 939 km, Poland
  428 km, Romania (southwest) 169 km, Romania (west) 362 km, Russia
  1,576 km, Slovakia 90 km
Coastline:
  2,782 km
Maritime claims:
  NA
International disputes:
  potential future border disputes with Moldova and Romania in Northern
  Bukovina and southern Odes'ka Oblast'; potential dispute with Moldova
  over former southern Bessarabian area; potential dispute with Russia
  over Crimea; has made no territorial claim in Antarctica (but has
  reserved the right to do so) and does not recognize the claims of any
  other nation
Climate:
  temperate continental; subtropical only on the southern Crimean coast;
  precipitation disproportionately distributed, highest in west and
  north, lesser in east and southeast; winters vary from cool along the
  Black Sea to cold farther inland; summers are warm across the greater
  part of the country, hot in the south
Terrain:
  most of Ukraine consists of fertile plains (steppes) and plateaux,
  mountains being found only in the west (the Carpathians), and in the
  Crimean Peninsula in the extreme south
Natural resources:
  iron ore, coal, manganese, natural gas, oil, salt, sulphur, graphite,
  titanium, magnesium, kaolin, nickel, mercury, timber
Land use:
arable land:
  56%
permanent crops:
  2%
meadows and pastures:
  12%
forest and woodland:
  0%
other:
  30%
Irrigated land:
  26,000 sq km (1990)
Environment:
current issues:
  unsafe drinking water; air and water pollution; deforestation;
  radiation contamination in the northeast from 1986 accident at
  Chornobyl' Nuclear Power Plant
natural hazards:
  NA
international agreements:
  party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
  Pollution-Sulphur, Antarctic Treaty, Environmental Modification,
  Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution; signed, but
  not ratified - Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity,
  Climate Change, Law of the Sea
Note:
  strategic position at the crossroads between Europe and Asia; second
  largest country in Europe

@Ukraine, People

Population:
  51,846,958 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
  0.05% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
  12.34 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
  12.6 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
  0.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  20.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
  69.99 years
male:
  65.45 years
female:
  74.76 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  1.82 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
  Ukrainian(s)
adjective:
  Ukrainian
Ethnic divisions:
  Ukrainian 73%, Russian 22%, Jewish 1%, other 4%
Religions:
  Ukrainian Orthodox - Moscow Patriarchate, Ukrainian Orthodox - Kiev
  Patriarchate, Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox, Ukrainian Catholic
  (Uniate), Protestant, Jewish
Languages:
  Ukrainian, Russian, Romanian, Polish, Hungarian
Literacy:
  age 9-49 can read and write (1979)
total population:
  100%
male:
  100%
female:
  100%
Labor force:
  23.985 million
by occupation:
  industry and construction 33%, agriculture and forestry 21%, health,
  education, and culture 16%, trade and distribution 7%, transport and
  communication 7%, other 16% (1992)

@Ukraine, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
  none
conventional short form:
  Ukraine
local long form:
  none
local short form:
  Ukrayina
former:
  Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic
Digraph:
  UP
Type:
  republic
Capital:
  Kiev (Kyyiv)
Administrative divisions:
  24 oblasti (singular - oblast'), 1 autonomous republic* (avtomnaya
  respublika), and 2 municipalites (mista, singular - misto) with oblast
  status**; Cherkas'ka (Cherkasy), Chernihivs'ka (Chernihiv),
  Chernivets'ka (Chernitsi), Dnipropetrovs'ka (Dnipropetrovs'k),
  Donets'ka (Donets'k), Ivano-Frankivs'ka (Ivano-Frankivs'k),
  Kharkivs'ka (Kharkiv), Khersons'ka (Kherson), Khmel'nyts'ka
  (Khmel'nyts'kyy), Kirovohrads'ka (Kirovohrad), Kyyiv**, Kyyivs'ka
  (Kiev), Luhans'ka (Luhans'k), L'vivs'ka (L'viv), Mykolayivs'ka
  (Mykolayiv), Odes'ka (Odesa), Poltavs'ka (Poltava), Respublika Krym*
  (Simferopol'), Rivnens'ka (Rivne), Sevastopol'**,Sums'ka
  (Sevastopol'), Ternopil's'ka (Ternopil'), Vinnyts'ka (Vinnytsya),
  Volyns'ka (Luts'k), Zakarpats'ka (Uzhhorod), Zaporiz'ka
  (Zaporizhzhya), Zhytomyrs'ka (Zhytomyr)
note:
  names in parentheses are administrative centers when name differs from
  oblast' name
Independence:
  1 December 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday:
  Independence Day, 24 August (1991)
Constitution:
  using 1978 pre-independence constitution; new constitution currently
  being drafted
Legal system:
  based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
  President-elect Leonid D. KUCHMA; election last held 26 June and 10
  July 1994 (next to be held NA 1999); results - Leonid KUCHMA 52.15%,
  Leonid KRAVCHUK 45.06%
head of government:
  Prime Minister (vacant); Acting First Deputy Prime Minister (and
  Acting Prime Minister since September 1993) Yukhym Leonidovych
  ZVYAHIL'SKYY (since 11 June 1993) and five deputy prime ministers
cabinet:
  Council of Ministers; appointed by the president and approved by the
  Supreme Council
Legislative branch:
  unicameral
Supreme Council:
  elections last held 27 March 1994 (next to be held NA); results -
  percent of vote by party NA; seats - (450 total) number of seats by
  party NA; note - 338 deputies were elected; the remaining 112 seats to
  be filled on 24 July 1994
Judicial branch:
  being organized
Political parties and leaders:
  Green Party of Ukraine, Vitaliy KONONOV, leader; Liberal Party of
  Ukraine, Ihor MERKULOV, chairman; Liberal Democratic Party of Ukraine,
  Volodymyr KLYMCHUK, chairman; Democratic Party of Ukraine, Volodymyr
  Oleksandrovych YAVORIVSKIY, chairman; People's Party of Ukraine,
  Leopol'd TABURYANSKYY, chairman; Peasants' Party of Ukraine, Serhiy
  DOVGRAN', chairman; Party of Democratic Rebirth of Ukraine, Volodymyr
  FILENKO, chairman; Social Democratic Party of Ukraine, Yuriy ZBITNEV,
  chairman; Socialist Party of Ukraine, Oleksandr MOROZ, chairman;
  Ukrainian Christian Democratic Party, Vitaliy ZHURAVSKYY, chairman;
  Ukrainian Conservative Republican Party, Stepan KHMARA, chairman;
  Ukrainian Labor Party, Valentyn LANDYK, chairman; Ukrainian Party of
  Justice, Mykhaylo HRECHKO, chairman; Ukrainian Peasants' Democratic
  Party, Serhiy PLACHINDA, chairman; Ukrainian Republican Party,
  Mykhaylo HORYN', chairman; Ukrainian National Conservative Party,
  Viktor RADIONOV, chairman; Ukrainian People's Movement for
  Restructuring (Rukh), Vyacheslav CHORNOUL, chairman; Ukrainian
  Communist Party, Petr SYMONENKO
Other political or pressure groups:
  New Ukraine (Nova Ukrayina); Congress of National Democratic Forces
Member of:
  BSEC, CBSS (observer), CCC, CE (guest), CEI (participating), CIS,
  CSCE, EBRD, ECE, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ILO, IMF, INMARSAT, INTELSAT
  (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NACC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNIDO, UNPROFOR, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
  Ambassador Oleh Hryhorovych BILORUS
chancery:
  3350 M Street NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20007
telephone:
  [phone]
FAX:
  [phone]
consulate(s) general:
  Chicago and New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
  Ambassador William MILLER
embassy:
  10 Yuria Kotsyubinskovo, 252053 Kiev 53
mailing address:
  use embassy street address
telephone:
  [7] [phone] or 244-7344
FAX:
  [7] [phone]
Flag:
  two equal horizontal bands of azure (top) and golden yellow represent
  grainfields under a blue sky

@Ukraine, Economy

Overview:
  After Russia, the Ukrainian republic was far and away the most
  important economic component of the former Soviet Union producing more
  than three times the output of the next-ranking republic. Its fertile
  black soil generated more than one-fourth of Soviet agricultural
  output, and its farms provided substantial quantities of meat, milk,
  grain and vegetables to other republics. Likewise, its diversified
  heavy industry supplied equipment and raw materials to industrial and
  mining sites in other regions of the former USSR. In 1992 the
  Ukrainian Government liberalized most prices and erected a legal
  framework for privatizing state enterprises while retaining many
  central economic controls and continuing subsidies to state production
  enterprises. In November 1992 the new Prime Minister KUCHMA launched a
  new economic reform program promising more freedom to the agricultural
  sector, faster privatization of small and medium enterprises, and
  stricter control over state subsidies. In 1993, however, severe
  internal political disputes over the scope and pace of economic reform
  and payment arrears on energy imports have led to further declines in
  output, and inflation of 50% or more per month by the last quarter. In
  first quarter 1994, national income and industrial output were less
  than two-thirds the first quarter 1993 figures, according to official
  statistics. At the same time an increasing number of people are
  developing small private businesses and exploiting opportunities in
  non-official markets. Even so, the magnitude of the problems and the
  slow pace in building new market-oriented institutions preclude a
  near-term recovery of output to the 1990 level. A vital economic
  concern in 1994 will continue to be Russia's decisions on the prices
  and quantities of oil and gas to be shipped to the Ukraine.
National product:
  GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $205.4 billion (1993 estimate from
  the UN International Comparison Program, as extended to 1991 and
  published in the World Bank's World Development Report 1993; and as
  extrapolated to 1993 using official Ukrainian statistics, which are
  very uncertain because of major economic changes since 1990)
National product real growth rate:
  -16% (1993 est.)
National product per capita:
  $3,960 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  45% per month (1993)
Unemployment rate:
  0.4% officially registered; large number of unregistered or
  underemployed workers
Budget:
revenues:
  $NA
expenditures:
  $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exports:
  $3 billion to countries outside of the FSU (1993)
commodities:
  coal, electric power, ferrous and nonferrous metals, chemicals,
  machinery and transport equipment, grain, meat
partners:
  FSU countries, Germany, China, Austria
Imports:
  $2.2 billion from outside of the FSU countries (1993)
commodities:
  machinery and parts, transportation equipment, chemicals, textiles
partners:
  FSU countries, Germany, China, Austria
External debt:
  $NA
Industrial production:
  growth rate -14% (1993); accounts for 50% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
  55,882,000 kW
production:
  281 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
  5,410 kWh (1992)
Industries:
  coal, electric power, ferrous and nonferrous metals, machinery and
  transport equipment, chemicals, food-processing (especially sugar)
Agriculture:
  accounts for about 25% of GDP; grain, vegetables, meat, milk, sugar
  beets
Illicit drugs:
  illicit cultivator of cannabis and opium poppy; mostly for CIS
  consumption; limited government eradication program; used as
  transshipment points for illicit drugs to Western Europe
Economic aid:
  $350 million economic aid and $350 million to help disassemble the
  atomic weapons from the US in 1994
Currency:
  Ukraine withdrew the Russian ruble from circulation on 12 November
  1992 and declared the karbovanets (plural karbovantsi) sole legal
  tender in Ukrainian markets; Ukrainian officials claim this is an
  interim move toward introducing a new currency - the hryvnya -
  possibly in mid-1994
Exchange rates:
  NA
Fiscal year:
  calendar year

@Ukraine, Communications

Railroads:
  23,350 km (1,524-mm gauge); 8,600 km electrified
Highways:
total:
  273,700 km
paved and gravel:
  236,400 km
unpaved:
  earth 37,300 km
Inland waterways:
  1,672 km perennially navigable (Pryp''yat' and Dnipro Rivers)
Pipelines:
  crude oil 2,010 km; petroleum products 1,920 km; natural gas 7,800 km
  (1992)
Ports:
  coastal - Berdyans'k, Illichivs'k, Kerch, Kherson, Mariupol',
  Mykolayiv, Odesa, Sevastopol', Pivdenne; inland - Kiev (Kyyiv)
Merchant marine:
  390 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,932,009 GRT/5,236,134 DWT,
  barge carriers 7, bulk cargo 55, cargo 231, chemical tanker 2,
  container 18, liquefied gas 1, multi-function-large-load-carrier 1,
  oil tanker 10, passenger 12, passenger cargo 5, railcar carrier 2,
  refrigerated cargo 5, roll-on/roll-off cargo 33, short-sea passenger 8
Airports:
total:
  694
usable:
  199
with permanent-surface runways:
  111
with runways over 3,659 m:
  3
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  81
with runways 1,060-2,439 m:
  78
note:
  a C-130 can land on a 1,060-m airstrip
Telecommunications:
  the telephone system is inadequate both for business and for personal
  use; about 7,886,000 telephone circuits serve 52,056,000 people
  (1991); telephone density is 151.4 telephone circuits per 1,000
  persons (1991); 3.56 million applications for telephones had not been
  satisfied as of January 1991; calls to other CIS countries are carried
  by land line or microwave; other international calls to 167 countries
  are carried by satellite or by the 150 leased lines through the Moscow
  gateway switch; an NMT-450 analog cellular telephone network operates
  in Kiev (Kyyiv) and allows direct dialing of international calls
  through Kiev's EWSD digital exchange; electronic mail services have
  been established in Kiev, Odessa, and Lugansk by Sprint; satellite
  earth stations employ INTELSAT, INMARSAT, and Intersputnik

@Ukraine, Defense Forces

Branches:
  Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Republic Security Forces
  (internal and border troops), National Guard
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 12,191,984; fit for military service 9,591,276; reach
  military age (18) annually 364,676 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
  544,256 million karbovantsi, NA% of GDP (forecast for 1993); note -
  conversion of the military budget into US dollars using the current
  exchange rate could produce misleading results


@United Arab Emirates, Geography

Location:
  Middle East, along the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia
Map references:
  Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
  75,581 sq km
land area:
  75,581 sq km
comparative area:
  slightly smaller than Maine
Land boundaries:
  total 867 km, Oman 410 km, Saudi Arabia 457 km
Coastline:
  1,318 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf:
  defined by bilateral boundaries or equidistant line
exclusive economic zone:
  200 nm
territorial sea:
  3 nm assumed for most of country; 12 nm for Ash Shariqah (Sharjah)
International disputes:
  location and status of boundary with Saudi Arabia is not final; no
  defined boundary with most of Oman, but Administrative Line in far
  north; claims two islands in the Persian Gulf occupied by Iran
  (Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Bozorg or Greater Tunb, and Jazireh-ye Tonb-e
  Kuchek or Lesser Tunb); claims island in the Persian Gulf jointly
  administered with Iran (Jazireh-ye Abu Musa or Abu Musa); 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
Climate:
  desert; cooler in eastern mountains
Terrain:
  flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast
  desert wasteland; mountains in east
Natural resources:
  petroleum, natural gas
Land use:
arable land:
  0%
permanent crops:
  0%
meadows and pastures:
  2%
forest and woodland:
  0%
other:
  98%
Irrigated land:
  50 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
  lack of natural freshwater resources being overcome by desalination
  plants; desertification; beach pollution from oil spills
natural hazards:
  frequent dust and sand storms
international agreements:
  party to - Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone
  Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Law of the
  Sea
Note:
  strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a
  vital transit point for world crude oil

@United Arab Emirates, People

Population:
  2,791,141 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
  4.79% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
  27.68 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
  3.05 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
  23.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  21.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
  72.26 years
male:
  70.16 years
female:
  74.46 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  4.6 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
  Emirian(s)
adjective:
  Emirian
Ethnic divisions:
  Emirian 19%, other Arab 23%, South Asian 50%, other expatriates
  (includes Westerners and East Asians) 8% (1982)
note:
  less than 20% are UAE citizens (1982)
Religions:
  Muslim 96% (Shi'a 16%), Christian, Hindu, and other 4%
Languages:
  Arabic (official), Persian, English, Hindi, Urdu
Literacy:
  age 10 and over but definition of literacy not available (1980)
total population:
  68%
male:
  70%
female:
  63%
Labor force:
  580,000 (1986 est.)
by occupation:
  industry and commerce 85%, agriculture 5%, services 5%, government 5%
note:
  80% of labor force is foreign (est.)

@United Arab Emirates, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
  United Arab Emirates
conventional short form:
  none
local long form:
  Al Imarata al Arabiyah al Muttahidah
local short form:
  none
former:
  Trucial States
Abbreviation:
  UAE
Digraph:
  TC
Type:
  federation with specified powers delegated to the UAE central
  government and other powers reserved to member emirates
Capital:
  Abu Dhabi
Administrative divisions:
  7 emirates (imarat, singular - imarah); Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi), 'Ajman,
  Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah (Sharjah), Dubayy, Ra's al Khaymah, Umm al
  Qaywayn
Independence:
  2 December 1971 (from UK)
National holiday:
  National Day, 2 December (1971)
Constitution:
  2 December 1971 (provisional)
Legal system:
  secular codes are being introduced by the UAE Government and in
  several member emirates; Islamic law remains influential
Suffrage:
  none
Executive branch:
chief of state:
  President ZAYID bin Sultan Al Nuhayyan, (since 2 December 1971), ruler
  of Abu Dhabi; Vice President Shaykh Maktum bin Rashid al-MAKTUM (since
  8 October 1990), ruler of Dubayy
head of government:
  Prime Minister Shaykh MAKTUM bin Rashid al-Maktum (since 8 October
  1990), ruler of Dubayy; Deputy Prime Minister Sultan bin Zayid Al
  NUHAYYAN (since 20 November 1990)
Supreme Council of Rulers:
  composed of the seven emirate rulers, the council is the highest
  constitutional authority in the UAE; establishes general policies and
  sanctions federal legislation, Abu Dhabi and Dubayy rulers have veto
  power; council meets four times a year
cabinet:
  Council of Ministers; appointed by the president
Legislative branch:
  unicameral Federal National Council (Majlis Watani Itihad); no
  elections
Judicial branch:
  Union Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
  none
Other political or pressure groups:
  NA
Member of:
  ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GATT, GCC, IAEA,
  IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT,
  INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC,
  UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOSOM, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
  Ambassador Muhammad bin Husayn al-SHAALI
chancery:
  Suite 600, 3000 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone:
  [phone]
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
  Ambassador William A. RUGH
embassy:
  Al-Sudan Street, Abu Dhabi
mailing address:
  P. O. Box 4009, Abu Dhabi
telephone:
  [971] (2) 336691
FAX:
  [971] (2) 318441
consulate(s) general:
  Dubayy (Dubai)
Flag:
  three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black with a
  thicker vertical red band on the hoist side

@United Arab Emirates, Economy

Overview:
  The UAE has an open economy with one of the world's highest incomes
  per capita and with a sizable annual trade surplus. Its wealth is
  based on oil and gas output (about 40% of GDP), and the fortunes of
  the economy fluctuate with the prices of those commodities. Since
  1973, the UAE has undergone a profound transformation from an
  impoverished region of small desert principalities to a modern state
  with a high standard of living. At present levels of production, crude
  oil reserves should last for over 100 years. Although much stronger
  economically than most Gulf states, the UAE faces similar problems
  with weak international oil prices and the pressures for cuts in OPEC
  oil production quotas. The UAE government is encouraging increased
  privatization within the economy.
National product:
  GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $63.8 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  1% (1993 est.)
National product per capita:
  $24,000 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  3.5% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate:
  NEGL% (1988)
Budget:
revenues:
  $4.3 billion
expenditures:
  $4.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1993 est)
Exports:
  $22.6 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities:
  crude oil 66%, natural gas, re-exports, dried fish, dates
partners:
  Japan 39%, Singapore 5%, Korea 4%, Iran 4%, India 4% (1991)
Imports:
  $18 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities:
  manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, food
partners:
  Japan 14%, UK 9%, US 8%, Germany 6% (1992)
External debt:
  $11 billion (1993 est.)
Industrial production:
  growth rate 1.7% (1992 est.); accounts for 50% of GDP, including
  petroleum
Electricity:
capacity:
  6,090,000 kW
production:
  17.85 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
  6,718 kWh (1992)
Industries:
  petroleum, fishing, petrochemicals, construction materials, some boat
  building, handicrafts, pearling
Agriculture:
  accounts for 2% of GDP and 5% of labor force; cash crop - dates; food
  products - vegetables, watermelons, poultry, eggs, dairy, fish; only
  25% self-sufficient in food
Illicit drugs:
  growing role as heroin transshipment and money-laundering center
Economic aid:
donor:
  pledged  in bilateral aid to less developed countries (1979-89) $9.1
  billion
Currency:
  1 Emirian dirham (Dh) = 100 fils
Exchange rates:
  Emirian dirhams (Dh) per US$1 - 3.6710 (fixed rate)
Fiscal year:
  calendar year

@United Arab Emirates, Communications

Highways:
total:
  2,000 km
paved:
  1,800 km
unpaved:
  gravel, graded earth 200 km
Pipelines:
  crude oil 830 km; natural gas, including natural gas liquids, 870 km
Ports:
  Al Fujayrah, Khawr Fakkan, Mina' Jabal 'Ali, Mina' Khalid, Mina'
  Rashid, Mina' Saqr, Mina' Zayid
Merchant marine:
  57 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 909,041 GRT/1,512,741 DWT, bulk
  1, cargo 18, chemical tanker 2, container 9, liquified gas 1, oil
  tanker 22, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 3
Airports:
total:
  39
usable:
  36
with permanent-surface runways:
  22
with runways over 3,659 m:
  6
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  6
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  6
Telecommunications:
  modern system consisting of microwave and coaxial cable; key centers
  are Abu Dhabi and Dubayy; 386,600 telephones; satellite ground
  stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1
  ARABSAT; submarine cables to Qatar, Bahrain, India, and Pakistan;
  tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi
  Arabia; broadcast stations - 8 AM, 3 FM, 12 TV

@United Arab Emirates, Defense Forces

Branches:
  Army, Navy, Air Force, Federal Police Force
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 1,040,828; fit for military service 567,766; reach
  military age (18) annually 17,303 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $1.47 billion, 5.3% of GDP (1989 est.)


@United Kingdom, Geography

Location:
  Western Europe, bordering on the North Atlantic Ocean and the North
  Sea, between Ireland and France
Map references:
  Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
  244,820 sq km
land area:
  241,590 sq km
comparative area:
  slightly smaller than Oregon
note:
  includes Rockall and Shetland Islands
Land boundaries:
  total 360 km, Ireland 360 km
Coastline:
  12,429 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf:
  as defined in continental shelf orders or in accordance with agreed
  upon boundaries
exclusive fishing zone:
  200 nm
territorial sea:
  12 nm
International disputes:
  Northern Ireland question with Ireland; Gibraltar question with Spain;
  Argentina claims Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas); Argentina claims
  South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; Mauritius claims island
  of Diego Garcia in British Indian Ocean Territory; Rockall continental
  shelf dispute involving Denmark, Iceland, and Ireland (Ireland and the
  UK have signed a boundary agreement in the Rockall area); territorial
  claim in Antarctica (British Antarctic Territory)
Climate:
  temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North
  Atlantic Current; more than half of the days are overcast
Terrain:
  mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east
  and southeast
Natural resources:
  coal, petroleum, natural gas, tin, limestone, iron ore, salt, clay,
  chalk, gypsum, lead, silica
Land use:
arable land:
  29%
permanent crops:
  0%
meadows and pastures:
  48%
forest and woodland:
  9%
other:
  14%
Irrigated land:
  1,570 sq km (1989)
Environment:
current issues:
  sulfur dioxide emissions from power plants contribute to air
  pollution; some rivers polluted by agricultural wastes and coastal
  waters polluted because of large-scale disposal of sewage at sea
natural hazards:
  NA
international agreements:
  party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Antarctic
  Treaty, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental
  Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life
  Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
  Pollution, Tropical Timber, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not
  ratified - Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
  Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Biodiversity
Note:
  lies near vital North Atlantic sea lanes; only 35 km from France and
  now linked by tunnel under the English Channel; because of heavily
  indented coastline, no location is more than 125 km from tidal waters

@United Kingdom, People

Population:
  58,135,110 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
  0.28% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
  13.39 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
  10.76 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
  0.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  7.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
  76.75 years
male:
  73.94 years
female:
  79.69 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  1.83 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
  Briton(s), British (collective pl.)
adjective:
  British
Ethnic divisions:
  English 81.5%, Scottish 9.6%, Irish 2.4%, Welsh 1.9%, Ulster 1.8%,
  West Indian, Indian, Pakistani, and other 2.8%
Religions:
  Anglican 27 million, Roman Catholic 9 million, Muslim 1 million,
  Presbyterian 800,000, Methodist 760,000, Sikh 400,000, Hindu 350,000,
  Jewish 300,000 (1991 est.)
note:
  the UK does not include a question on religion in its census
Languages:
  English, Welsh (about 26% of the population of Wales), Scottish form
  of Gaelic (about 60,000 in Scotland)
Literacy:
  age 15 and over can read and write (1978 est.)
total population:
  99%
male:
  NA%
female:
  NA%
Labor force:
  28.048 million
by occupation:
  services 62.8%, manufacturing and construction 25.0%, government 9.1%,
  energy 1.9%, agriculture 1.2% (June 1992)

@United Kingdom, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
  United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
conventional short form:
  United Kingdom
Abbreviation:
  UK
Digraph:
  UK
Type:
  constitutional monarchy
Capital:
  London
Administrative divisions:
  47 counties, 7 metropolitan counties, 26 districts, 9 regions, and 3
  islands areas
England:
  39 counties, 7 metropolitan counties*; Avon, Bedford, Berkshire,
  Buckingham, Cambridge, Cheshire, Cleveland, Cornwall, Cumbria, Derby,
  Devon, Dorset, Durham, East Sussex, Essex, Gloucester, Greater
  London*, Greater Manchester*, Hampshire, Hereford and Worcester,
  Hertford, Humberside, Isle of Wight, Kent, Lancashire, Leicester,
  Lincoln, Merseyside*, Norfolk, Northampton, Northumberland, North
  Yorkshire, Nottingham, Oxford, Shropshire, Somerset, South Yorkshire*,
  Stafford, Suffolk, Surrey, Tyne and Wear*, Warwick, West Midlands*,
  West Sussex, West Yorkshire*, Wiltshire
Northern Ireland:
  26 districts; Antrim, Ards, Armagh, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Banbridge,
  Belfast, Carrickfergus, Castlereagh, Coleraine, Cookstown, Craigavon,
  Down, Dungannon, Fermanagh, Larne, Limavady, Lisburn, Londonderry,
  Magherafelt, Moyle, Newry and Mourne, Newtownabbey, North Down, Omagh,
  Strabane
Scotland:
  9 regions, 3 islands areas*; Borders, Central, Dumfries and Galloway,
  Fife, Grampian, Highland, Lothian, Orkney*, Shetland*, Strathclyde,
  Tayside, Western Isles*
Wales:
  8 counties; Clwyd, Dyfed, Gwent, Gwynedd, Mid Glamorgan, Powys, South
  Glamorgan, West Glamorgan
Dependent areas:
  Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin
  Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Hong
  Kong (scheduled to become a Special Administrative Region of China on
  1 July 1997), Jersey, Isle of Man, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, Saint
  Helena, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Turks and Caicos
  Islands
Independence:
  1 January 1801 (United Kingdom established)
National holiday:
  Celebration of the Birthday of the Queen (second Saturday in June)
Constitution:
  unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
Legal system:
  common law tradition with early Roman and modern continental
  influences; no judicial review of Acts of Parliament; accepts
  compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
  Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Heir Apparent Prince
  CHARLES (son of the Queen, born 14 November 1948)
head of government:
  Prime Minister John MAJOR (since 28 November 1990)
cabinet:
  Cabinet of Ministers
Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament
House of Lords:
  consists of a 1,200-member body, four-fifths are hereditary peers, 2
  archbishops, 24 other senior bishops, serving and retired Lords of
  Appeal in Ordinary, other life peers, Scottish peers
House of Commons:
  elections last held 9 April 1992 (next to be held by NA April 1997);
  results - Conservative 41.9%, Labor 34.5%, Liberal Democratic 17.9%,
  other 5.7%; seats - (651 total) Conservative 336, Labor 271, Liberal
  Democratic 20, other 24
Judicial branch:
  House of Lords
Political parties and leaders:
  Conservative and Unionist Party, John MAJOR; Labor Party; Liberal
  Democrats (LD), Jeremy (Paddy) ASHDOWN; Scottish National Party, Alex
  SALMOND; Welsh National Party (Plaid Cymru), Dafydd Iwan WIGLEY;
  Ulster Unionist Party (Northern Ireland), James MOLYNEAUX; Democratic
  Unionist Party (Northern Ireland), Rev. Ian PAISLEY; Ulster Popular
  Unionist Party (Northern Ireland), Sir James KILFEDDER; Social
  Democratic and Labor Party (SDLP, Northern Ireland), John HUME; Sinn
  Fein (Northern Ireland), Gerry ADAMS
Other political or pressure groups:
  Trades Union Congress; Confederation of British Industry; National
  Farmers' Union; Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
Member of:
  AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australian Group, BIS, C, CCC, CDB
  (non-regional), CE, CERN, COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECA (associate), ECE,
  ECLAC, EIB, ESCAP, ESA, FAO, G-5, G-7, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
  ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,
  INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, MINURSO,
  MTRC, NACC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OECD, PCA, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNFICYP,
  UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNPROFOR, UNRWA, UN Security Council, UNTAC, UN
  Trusteeship Council, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
  Ambassador Sir Robin RENWICK
chancery:
  3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
  [phone]
FAX:
  [phone]
consulate(s) general:
  Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Houston, Los Angeles, New York,
  and San Francisco,
consulate(s):
  Dallas, Miami, Nuku'alofa, and Seattle
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
  Ambassador-designate Adm. William CROWE
embassy:
  24/31 Grosvenor Square, London, W.1A1AE
mailing address:
  PSC 801, Box 40, FPO AE 09498-4040
telephone:
  [44] (71) 499-9000
FAX:
  [44] (71) 409-1637
consulate(s) general:
  Belfast and Edinburgh
Flag:
  blue with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England)
  edged in white superimposed on the diagonal red cross of Saint Patrick
  (patron saint of Ireland) which is superimposed on the diagonal white
  cross of Saint Andrew (patron saint of Scotland); known as the Union
  Flag or Union Jack; the design and colors (especially the Blue Ensign)
  have been the basis for a number of other flags including
  dependencies, Commonwealth countries, and others

@United Kingdom, Economy

Overview:
  The UK is one of the world's great trading powers and financial
  centers, and its economy ranks among the four largest in Western
  Europe. The economy is essentially capitalistic; over the past
  thirteen years the ruling Tories have greatly reduced public ownership
  and contained the growth of social welfare programs. Agriculture is
  intensive, highly mechanized, and efficient by European standards,
  producing about 60% of food needs with only 1% of the labor force. The
  UK has large coal, natural gas, and oil reserves, and primary energy
  production accounts for 12% of GDP, one of the highest shares of any
  industrial nation. Services, particularly banking, insurance, and
  business services, account by far for the largest proportion of GDP
  while industry continues to decline in importance, now employing only
  25% of the work force and generating only 21% of GDP. The economy is
  emerging out of its 3-year recession with only weak recovery in 1993;
  even so, the economy fared better in 1993 than the economies of most
  other European countries. Unemployment is hovering around 10% of the
  labor force. The government in 1992 adopted a pro-growth strategy,
  cutting interest rates sharply and removing the pound from the
  European exchange rate mechanism. Excess industrial capacity probably
  will moderate inflation which for the first time in a decade is below
  the EC average. The major economic policy question for Britain in the
  1990s is the terms on which it participates in the financial and
  economic integration of Europe.
National product:
  GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $980.2 billion (1993)
National product real growth rate:
  2.1% (1993)
National product per capita:
  $16,900 (1993)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  2.6% (1993)
Unemployment rate:
  10.3% (1993)
Budget:
revenues:
  $325.5 billion
expenditures:
  $400.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $33 billion (1993
  est.)
Exports:
  $190.1 billion (f.o.b., 1993)
commodities:
  manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, chemicals, semifinished goods,
  transport equipment
partners:
  EC countries 56.7% (Germany 14.0%, France 11.1%, Netherlands 7.9%), US
  10.9%
Imports:
  $221.6 billion (c.i.f., 1993)
commodities:
  manufactured goods, machinery, semifinished goods, foodstuffs,
  consumer goods
partners:
  EC countries 51.7% (Germany 14.9%, France 9.3%, Netherlands 8.4%), US
  11.6%
External debt:
  $16.2 billion (June 1992)
Industrial production:
  growth rate 2.2% (1993 est.)
Electricity:
capacity:
  99,000,000 kW
production:
  317 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
  5,480 kWh (1992)
Industries:
  production machinery including machine tools, electric power
  equipment, equipment for the automation of production, railroad
  equipment, shipbuilding, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts,
  electronics and communications equipment, metals, chemicals, coal,
  petroleum, paper and paper products, food processing, textiles,
  clothing, and other consumer goods
Agriculture:
  accounts for only 1.5% of GDP and 1% of labor force; highly mechanized
  and efficient farms; wide variety of crops and livestock products
  produced; about 60% self-sufficient in food and feed needs
Illicit drugs:
  gateway country for Latin American cocaine entering the European
  market; producer of synthetic drugs; money-laundering center
Economic aid:
donor:
  ODA and OOF commitments (1992-93), $3.2 billion
Currency:
  1 British pound (#) = 100 pence
Exchange rates:
  British pounds (#) per US$1 - 0.6699 (January 1994), 0.6033 (1993),
  0.5664 (1992), 0.5652 (1991), 0.5603 (1990), 0.6099 (1989)
Fiscal year:
  1 April-31 March

@United Kingdom, Communications

Railroads:
  UK, 16,914 km total; Great Britain's British Railways (BR) operates
  16,584 km 1,435-mm (standard) gauge (including 4,545 km electrified
  and 12,591 km double or multiple track), several additional small
  standard-gauge and narrow-gauge lines are privately owned and
  operated; Northern Ireland Railways (NIR) operates 330 km 1,600-mm
  gauge (including 190 km double track)
Highways:
total:
  362,982 km (Great Britian 339,483 km; Northern Ireland 23,499 km)
paved:
  362,390 km (Great Britian 339,483 km, including 2,573 km limited
  access divided highway; Northern Ireland 22,907 km)
unpaved:
  gravel 592 km (in Northern Ireland)
Inland waterways:
  2,291 total; British Waterways Board, 606 km; Port Authorities, 706
  km; other, 979 km
Pipelines:
  crude oil (almost all insignificant) 933 km; petroleum products 2,993
  km; natural gas 12,800 km
Ports:
  London, Liverpool, Felixstowe, Tees and Hartlepool, Dover, Sullom Voe,
  Southampton
Merchant marine:
  180 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,428,571 GRT/4,297,489 DWT,
  bulk 17, cargo 35, chemical tanker 2, combination bulk 1, container
  24, liquefied gas 5, oil tanker 59, passenger 7, passenger cargo 1,
  refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 13, short-sea passenger
  14, specialized tanker 1
Airports:
total:
  497
usable:
  388
with permanent-surface runways:
  251
with runways over 3,659 m:
  1
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  37
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  133
Telecommunications:
  technologically advanced domestic and international system; 30,200,000
  telephones; equal mix of buried cables, microwave and optical-fiber
  systems; excellent countrywide broadcast systems; broadcast stations -
  225 AM, 525 (mostly repeaters) FM, 207 (3,210 repeaters) TV; 40
  coaxial submarine cables; 5 satellite ground stations operating in
  INTELSAT (7 Atlantic Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean), INMARSAT, and EUTELSAT
  systems; at least 8 large international switching centers

@United Kingdom, Defense Forces

Branches:
  Army, Royal Navy (including Royal Marines), Royal Air Force
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 14,432,081; fit for military service 12,056,828
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $34.8 billion, 3.7% of GDP (FY93/94)


@United States, Geography

Location:
  North America, between Canada and Mexico
Map references:
  North America, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
  9,372,610 sq km
land area:
  9,166,600 sq km
comparative area:
  about half the size of Russia; about three-tenths the size of Africa;
  about one-half the size of South America (or slightly larger than
  Brazil); slightly smaller than China; about two and one-half times the
  size of Western Europe
note:
  includes only the 50 states and District of Columbia
Land boundaries:
  total 12,248 km, Canada 8,893 km (including 2,477 km with Alaska),
  Cuba 29 km (US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay), Mexico 3,326 km
Coastline:
  19,924 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
  24 nm depth
continental shelf:
  200-m depth or to depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone:
  200 nm
territorial sea:
  12 nm
International disputes:
  maritime boundary disputes with Canada (Dixon Entrance, Beaufort Sea,
  Strait of Juan de Fuca); US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased
  from Cuba and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the area can
  terminate the lease; Haiti claims Navassa Island; US has made no
  territorial claim in Antarctica (but has reserved the right to do so)
  and does not recognize the claims of any other nation; Republic of
  Marshall Islands claims Wake Island
Climate:
  mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida and arctic in
  Alaska, semiarid in the great plains west of the Mississippi River and
  arid in the Great Basin of the southwest; low winter temperatures in
  the northwest are ameliorated occasionally in January and February by
  warm chinook winds from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains
Terrain:
  vast central plain, mountains in west, hills and low mountains in
  east; rugged mountains and broad river valleys in Alaska; rugged,
  volcanic topography in Hawaii
Natural resources:
  coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, uranium, bauxite, gold,
  iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, petroleum,
  natural gas, timber
Land use:
arable land:
  20%
permanent crops:
  0%
meadows and pastures:
  26%
forest and woodland:
  29%
other:
  25%
Irrigated land:
  181,020 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
  air pollution resulting in acid rain in both the US and Canada; the US
  is the largest single emitter of carbon dioxide from the burning of
  fossil fuels; water pollution from runoff of pesticides and
  fertilizers; sparse water resources in much of the western part of the
  country requires careful management; desertification
natural hazards:
  tsunamis, volcanoes, and earthquake activity around Pacific Basin;
  hurricanes along the Atlantic coast; tornadoes in the midwest;
  mudslides in California; forest fires in the west; flooding;
  permafrost in northern Alaska is a major impediment to development
international agreements:
  party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Antarctic
  Treaty, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental
  Modification, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test
  Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber,
  Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Volatile
  Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Biodiversity,
  Hazardous Wastes
Note:
  world's fourth-largest country (after Russia, Canada, and China)

@United States, People

Population:
  260,713,585 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
  0.99% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
  15.2 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
  8.68 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
  3.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  8.11 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
  75.9 years
male:
  72.58 years
female:
  79.39 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  2.06 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
  American(s)
adjective:
  American
Ethnic divisions:
  white 83.4%, black 12.4%, Asian 3.3%, Native American 0.8% (1992)
Religions:
  Protestant 56%, Roman Catholic 28%, Jewish 2%, other 4%, none 10%
  (1989)
Languages:
  English, Spanish (spoken by a sizable minority)
Literacy:
  age 15 and over having completed 5 or more years of schooling (1991)
total population:
  97%
male:
  97%
female:
  97%
Labor force:
  129.525 million (includes armed forces and unemployed); civilian labor
  force 128.040 million) (1993)
by occupation:
  managerial and professional 27.1%; technical, sales and administrative
  support 30.9%; services 13.8%; manufacturing, mining, transportation,
  and crafts 25.5%; farming, forestry, and fishing 2.8%

@United States, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
  United States of America
conventional short form:
  United States
Abbreviation:
  US or USA
Digraph:
  US
Type:
  federal republic; strong democratic tradition
Capital:
  Washington, DC
Administrative divisions:
  50 states and 1 district*; Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas,
  California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia*,
  Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas,
  Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan,
  Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New
  Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North
  Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South
  Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia,
  Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Dependent areas:
  American Samoa, Baker Island, Guam, Howland Island, Jarvis Island,
  Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands, Navassa Island, Northern
  Mariana Islands, Palmyra Atoll, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Wake
  Island
note:
  since 18 July 1947, the US has administered the Trust Territory of the
  Pacific Islands, but recently entered into a new political
  relationship with three of the four political units; the Northern
  Mariana Islands is a Commonwealth in political union with the US
  (effective 3 November 1986); Palau concluded a Compact of Free
  Association with the US that was approved by the US Congress but to
  date the Compact process has not been completed in Palau, which
  continues to be administered by the US as the Trust Territory of the
  Pacific Islands; the Federated States of Micronesia signed a Compact
  of Free Association with the US (effective 3 November 1986); the
  Republic of the Marshall Islands signed a Compact of Free Association
  with the US (effective 21 October 1986)
Independence:
  4 July 1776 (from England)
National holiday:
  Independence Day, 4 July (1776)
Constitution:
  17 September 1787, effective 4 March 1789
Legal system:
  based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts;
  accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government:
  President William Jefferson CLINTON (since 20 January 1993); Vice
  President Albert GORE, Jr. (since 20 January 1993); election last held
  3 November 1992 (next to be held 5 November 1996); results - William
  Jefferson CLINTON (Democratic Party) 43.2%, George BUSH (Republican
  Party) 37.7%, Ross PEROT (Independent) 19.0%, other 0.1%
cabinet:
  Cabinet; appointed by the president with Senate approval
Legislative branch:
  bicameral Congress
Senate:
  elections last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held 8 November 1994);
  results - Democratic Party 53%, Republican Party 47%, other NEGL%;
  seats - (100 total) Democratic Party 57, Republican Party 43
House of Representatives:
  elections last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held 8 November 1994);
  results - Democratic Party 52%, Republican Party 46%, other 2%; seats
  - (435 total) Democratic Party 258, Republican Party 176, Independent
  1
Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
  Republican Party, Haley BARBOUR, national committee chairman; Jeanie
  AUSTIN, co-chairman; Democratic Party, David C. WILHELM, national
  committee chairman; several other groups or parties of minor political
  significance
Member of:
  AfDB, AG (observer), ANZUS, APEC, AsDB, Australian Group, BIS, CCC,
  COCOM, CP, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, FAO, ESCAP, G-2, G-5, G-7, G-8,
  G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC,
  ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU,
  LORCS, MINURSO, MTCR, NACC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, PCA, SPC, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNOSOM, UNRWA, UN Security Council,
  UNTAC, UN Trusteeship Council, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO,
  ZC
Flag:
  thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating
  with white; there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner
  bearing 50 small white five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset
  horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of
  five stars; the 50 stars represent the 50 states, the 13 stripes
  represent the 13 original colonies; known as Old Glory; the design and
  colors have been the basis for a number of other flags including
  Chile, Liberia, Malaysia, and Puerto Rico

@United States, Economy

Overview:
  The US has the most powerful, diverse, and technologically advanced
  economy in the world, with a per capita GDP of $24,700, the largest
  among major industrial nations. The economy is market oriented with
  most decisions made by private individuals and business firms and with
  government purchases of goods and services made predominantly in the
  marketplace. In 1989 the economy enjoyed its seventh successive year
  of substantial growth, the longest in peacetime history. The expansion
  featured moderation in wage and consumer price increases and a steady
  reduction in unemployment to 5.2% of the labor force. In 1990,
  however, growth slowed to 1% because of a combination of factors, such
  as the worldwide increase in interest rates, Iraq's invasion of Kuwait
  in August, the subsequent spurt in oil prices, and a general decline
  in business and consumer confidence. In 1991 output fell by 1%,
  unemployment grew, and signs of recovery proved premature. Growth
  picked up to 2.6% in 1992 and to 3.0% in 1993. Unemployment, however,
  declined only gradually, the increase in GDP being mainly attributable
  to gains in output per worker. Ongoing economic problems for the
  remainder of the 1990s include inadequate investment in economic
  infrastructure, rapidly rising medical costs, and sizable budget and
  trade deficits.
National product:
  GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $6.379 trillion (1993)
National product real growth rate:
  3% (1993)
National product per capita:
  $24,700 (1993)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  3% (1993)
Unemployment rate:
  6% (May 1994)
Budget:
revenues:
  $1.1535 trillion
expenditures:
  $1.4082 trillion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1993 est.)
Exports:
  $449 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities:
  capital goods, automobiles, industrial supplies and raw materials,
  consumer goods, agricultural products
partners:
  Western Europe 24.3%, Canada 22.1%, Japan 10.5% (1993 est.)
Imports:
  $582 billion (c.i.f., 1993 est.)
commodities:
  crude oil and refined petroleum products, machinery, automobiles,
  consumer goods, industrial raw materials, food and beverages
partners:
  Canada, 19.3%, Western Europe 18.1%, Japan 18.1% (1993 est.)
External debt:
  $NA
Industrial production:
  growth rate 4.6% (1993); accounts for 23% of GDP (1991)
Electricity:
capacity:
  780,000,000 kW
production:
  3.23 trillion kWh
consumption per capita:
  12,690 kWh (1992)
Industries:
  leading industrial power in the world, highly diversified and
  technologically advanced; petroleum, steel, motor vehicles, aerospace,
  telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, food processing, consumer
  goods, lumber, mining
Agriculture:
  accounts for 2% of GDP and 2.8% of labor force; favorable climate and
  soils support a wide variety of crops and livestock production;
  world's second largest producer and number one exporter of grain;
  surplus food producer; fish catch of 4.4 million metric tons (1990)
Illicit drugs:
  illicit producer of cannabis for domestic consumption with 1987
  production estimated at 3,500 metric tons or about 25% of the
  available marijuana; ongoing eradication program aimed at small plots
  and greenhouses has not reduced production
Economic aid:
donor:
  commitments, including ODA and OOF, (FY80-89), $115.7 billion
Currency:
  1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
British pounds:
  (#) per US$ - 0.6699 (January 1994), 0.6033 (1993), 0.5664 (1992),
  0.5652 (1991), 0.5603 (1990), 0.6099 (1989)
Canadian dollars:
  (Can$) per US$ - 1.3174 (January 1994), 1.2901 (1993), 1.2087 (1992),
  1.1457 (1991), 1.1668 (1990), 1.1840 (1989)
French francs:
  (F) per US$ - 5.9205 (January 1994), 5.6632 (1993), 5.2938 (1992),
  5.6421 (1991), 5.4453 (1990), 6.3801 (1989)
Italian lire:
  (Lit) per US$ - 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)
Japanese yen:
  (Y) per US$ - 111.51 (January 1994), 111.20 (1993), 126.65 (1992),
  134.71 (1991), 144.79 (1990), 137.96 (1989)
German deutsche marks:
  (DM) per US$ - 1.7431 (January 1994), 1.6533 (1993), 1.5617 (1992),
  1.6595 (1991), 1.6157 (1990), 1.8800 (1989)
Fiscal year:
  1 October - 30 September

@United States, Communications

Railroads:
  240,000 km of mainline routes, all standard 1.435 meter track, no
  government ownership (1989)
Highways:
total:
  6,243,163 km
paved:
  3,633,520 km (including 84,865 km of expressways)
unpaved:
  2,609,643 km (1990)
Inland waterways:
  41,009 km of navigable inland channels, exclusive of the Great Lakes
  (est.)
Pipelines:
  petroleum 276,000 km; natural gas 331,000 km (1991)
Ports:
  Anchorage, Baltimore, Beaumont, Boston, Charleston, Chicago,
  Cleveland, Duluth, Freeport, Galveston, Hampton Roads, Honolulu,
  Houston, Jacksonville, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Mobile, New
  Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Portland (Oregon), Richmond
  (California), San Francisco, Savannah, Seattle, Tampa, Wilmington
Merchant marine:
  385 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 12,567,000 GRT/19,511,000 DWT,
  bulk 23, cargo 36, intermodal 128, liquefied gas 13, passenger-cargo
  3, tanker 169, tanker tug-barge 13
note:
  in addition, there are 219 government-owned vessels
Airports:
total:
  14,177
usable:
  12,417
with permanent-surface runways:
  4,820
with runways over 3,659 m:
  63
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  325
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  2,524
Telecommunications:
  126,000,000 telephone access lines; 7,557,000 cellular phone
  subscribers; broadcast stations - 4,987 AM, 4,932 FM, 1,092 TV; about
  9,000 TV cable systems; 530,000,000 radio sets and 193,000,000 TV sets
  in use; 16 satellites and 24 ocean cable systems in use; satellite
  ground stations - 45 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 16 Pacific Ocean
  INTELSAT (1990)

@United States, Defense Forces

Branches:
  Department of the Army, Department of the Navy (including Marine
  Corps), Department of the Air Force
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $315.5 billion, 5.3% of GDP (1992)


@Uruguay, Geography

Location:
  Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean between
  Argentina and Brazil
Map references:
  South America, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
  176,220 sq km
land area:
  173,620 sq km
comparative area:
  slightly smaller than Washington State
Land boundaries:
  total 1,564 km, Argentina 579 km, Brazil 985 km
Coastline:
  660 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf:
  200-m depth or to depth of exploitation
territorial sea:
  200 nm; overflight and navigation permitted beyond 12 nm
International disputes:
  short section of boundary with Argentina is in dispute; two short
  sections of the boundary with Brazil are in dispute - Arroyo de la
  Invernada (Arroio Invernada) area of the Rio Quarai and the islands at
  the confluence of the Rio Cuareim (Rio Quarai) and the Uruguay River
Climate:
  warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown
Terrain:
  mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland
Natural resources:
  soil, hydropower potential, minor minerals
Land use:
arable land:
  8%
permanent crops:
  0%
meadows and pastures:
  78%
forest and woodland:
  4%
other:
  10%
Irrigated land:
  1,100 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
  NA
natural hazards:
  subject to seasonally high winds, droughts, floods
international agreements:
  party to - Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Endangered Species,
  Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone
  Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified -
  Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate Change, Law of the Sea,
  Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation

@Uruguay, People

Population:
  3,198,910 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
  0.75% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
  17.7 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
  9.39 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
  -0.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  17.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
  74.09 years
male:
  70.88 years
female:
  77.47 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  2.44 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
  Uruguayan(s)
adjective:
  Uruguayan
Ethnic divisions:
  white 88%, mestizo 8%, black 4%
Religions:
  Roman Catholic 66% (less than half adult population attends church
  regularly), Protestant 2%, Jewish 2%, nonprofessing or other 30%
Languages:
  Spanish, Brazilero (Portuguese-Spanish mix on the Brazilian frontier)
Literacy:
  age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population:
  96%
male:
  97%
female:
  96%
Labor force:
  1.355 million (1991 est.)
by occupation:
  government 25%, manufacturing 19%, agriculture 11%, commerce 12%,
  utilities, construction, transport, and communications 12%, other
  services 21% (1988 est.)

@Uruguay, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
  Oriental Republic of Uruguay
conventional short form:
  Uruguay
local long form:
  Republica Oriental del Uruguay
local short form:
  Uruguay
Digraph:
  UY
Type:
  republic
Capital:
  Montevideo
Administrative divisions:
  19 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Artigas,
  Canelones, Cerro Largo, Colonia, Durazno, Flores, Florida, Lavalleja,
  Maldonado, Montevideo, Paysandu, Rio Negro, Rivera, Rocha, Salto, San
  Jose, Soriano, Tacuarembo, Treinta y Tres
Independence:
  25 August 1828 (from Brazil)
National holiday:
  Independence Day, 25 August (1828)
Constitution:
  27 November 1966, effective February 1967, suspended 27 June 1973, new
  constitution rejected by referendum 30 November 1980
Legal system:
  based on Spanish civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government:
  President Luis Alberto LACALLE (since 1 March 1990); Vice President
  Gonzalo AGUIRRE Ramirez (since 1 March 1990); election last held 26
  November 1989 (next to be held NA November 1994); results - Luis
  Alberto LACALLE Herrera (Blanco) 37%, Jorge BATLLE Ibanez (Colorado)
  29%, Liber SEREGNI Mosquera (Broad Front) 20%
cabinet:
  Council of Ministers; appointed by the president
Legislative branch:
  bicameral General Assembly (Asamblea General)
Chamber of Senators (Camara de Senadores):
  elections last held 26 November 1989 (next to be held NA November
  1994); results - Blanco 40%, Colorado 30%, Broad Front 23% New Space
  7%; seats - (30 total) Blanco 12, Colorado 9, Broad Front 7, New Space
  2
Chamber of Representatives (Camera de Representantes):
  elections last held NA November 1989 (next to be held NA November
  1994); results - Blanco 39%, Colorado 30%, Broad Front 22%, New Space
  8%, other 1%; seats - (99 total) number of seats by party NA
Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
  National (Blanco) Party; Colorado Party, Jorge BATLLE; Broad Front
  Coalition, Gen. Liber SEREGNI Mosquera; New Space Coalition, Hugo
  BATALLA
Member of:
  AG (observer), CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
  ICAO, ICC, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM,
  ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, LORCS, MERCOSUR, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL,
  PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMOGIP, UNOMOZ, UNTAC,
  UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
  Ambassador Eduardo MACGILLYCUDDY
chancery:
  1918 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20006
telephone:
  telephone [phone] through 1316
consulate(s) general:
  Los Angeles, Miami, and New York
consulate(s):
  New Orleans
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
  Ambassador Thomas DODD
embassy:
  Lauro Muller 1776, Montevideo
mailing address:
  APO AA 34035
telephone:
  [598] (2) 23-60-61 or 48-77-77
FAX:
  [598] (2) 48-86-11
Flag:
  nine equal horizontal stripes of white (top and bottom) alternating
  with blue; there is a white square in the upper hoist-side corner with
  a yellow sun bearing a human face known as the Sun of May and 16 rays
  alternately triangular and wavy

@Uruguay, Economy

Overview:
  Uruguay is a small economy with favorable climate, good soils, and
  solid hydropower potential. Economic development has been held back by
  excessive government regulation of economic detail and 50% to 130%
  inflation. After several years of sluggish growth, real GDP jumped by
  about 7.5% in 1992. The rise is attributable mainly to an increase in
  Argentine demand for Uruguayan exports, particularly agricultural
  products and electricity. In a major step toward greater regional
  economic cooperation, Uruguay in 1991 had joined Brazil, Argentina,
  and Paraguay in forming the Southern Cone Common Market (Mercosur). A
  referendum in December 1992 overturned key portions of landmark
  privatization legislation, dealing a serious blow to President
  LACALLE's broad economic reform plan. Hampered by a slowdown in the
  agricultural sector, the economy grew at only 2% in 1993 compared with
  7.5% in 1992. Although inflation declined for the second consecutive
  year, a surge in the money supply, rising food prices, a record trade
  deficit, and an increase in the government deficit toward the end of
  the year foreshadowed troubles ahead in 1994.
National product:
  GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $19 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  2% (1993 est.)
National product per capita:
  $6,000 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  50% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate:
  8.8% (1993 est.)
Budget:
revenues:
  $2.9 billion
expenditures:
  $3 billion, including capital expenditures of $388 million (1991 est.)
Exports:
  $1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities:
  wool and textile manufactures, beef and other animal products,
  leather, rice
partners:
  Brazil, Argentina, US, China, Italy
Imports:
  $2 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities:
  machinery and equipment, vehicles, chemicals, minerals, plastics
partners:
  Brazil, Argentina, US, Nigeria
External debt:
  $4.2 billion (1993)
Industrial production:
  growth rate 4.2% (1992 est.), accounts for almost 25% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
  2,168,000 kW
production:
  5.96 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
  1,900 kWh (1992)
Industries:
  meat processing, wool and hides, sugar, textiles, footwear, leather
  apparel, tires, cement, fishing, petroleum refining, wine
Agriculture:
  accounts for 12% of GDP; large areas devoted to livestock grazing;
  wheat, rice, corn, sorghum; self-sufficient in most basic foodstuffs
Economic aid:
recipient:
  US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $105 million; Western
  (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $420
  million; Communist countries (1970-89), $69 million
Currency:
  1 Uruguayan peso ($Ur) = 100 centesimos
Exchange rates:
  Uruguayan pesos ($Ur) per US$1 - 4.4710 (January 1994), 3.9484 (1993);
  new Uruguayan pesos (N$Ur) per US$1 - 3,457.5 (December 1992), 3,026.9
  (1992), 2,489 (1991), 1,594 (1990), 805 (1989)
note:
  on 1 March 1993 the former New Peso (N$Ur) was replaced as Uruguay's
  unit of currency by the Peso which is equal to 1,000 of the New Pesos;
  consequently there is a major change in the peso/dollar exchange rate
Fiscal year:
  calendar year

@Uruguay, Communications

Railroads:
  3,000 km, all 1.435-meter (standard) gauge and government owned
Highways:
total:
  49,900 km
paved:
  6,700 km
unpaved:
  gravel 3,000 km; earth 40,200 km
Inland waterways:
  1,600 km; used by coastal and shallow-draft river craft
Ports:
  Montevideo, Punta del Este, Colonia
Merchant marine:
  4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 84,797 GRT/132,296 DWT, cargo 1,
  container 2, oil tanker 1
Airports:
total:
  87
usable:
  80
with permanent-surface runways:
  16
with runways over 3,659 m:
  0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  2
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  14
Telecommunications:
  most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo; new nationwide
  microwave network; 337,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 99 AM, no
  FM, 26 TV, 9 shortwave; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations

@Uruguay, Defense Forces

Branches:
  Army, Navy (including Naval Air Arm, Coast Guard, Marines), Air Force,
  Grenadier Guards, Police
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 765,490; fit for military service 621,629
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $216 million, 2.3% of GDP (1991 est.)


@Uzbekistan, Geography

Location:
  Central Asia, bordering the Aral Sea, between Kazakhstan and
  Turkmenistan
Map references:
  Asia, Commonwealth of Independent States - Central Asian States,
  Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
  447,400 sq km
land area:
  425,400 sq km
comparative area:
  slightly larger than California
Land boundaries:
  total 6,221 km, Afghanistan 137 km, Kazakhstan 2,203 km, Kyrgyzstan
  1,099 km, Tajikistan 1,161 km, Turkmenistan 1,621 km
Coastline:
  0 km
note:
  Uzbekistan borders the Aral Sea (420 km)
Maritime claims:
  none; landlocked
International disputes:
  Russia may dispute current de facto maritime border to midpoint of
  Caspian Sea from shore
Climate:
  mostly midlatitude desert, long, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid
  grassland in east
Terrain:
  mostly flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes; broad, flat intensely
  irrigated river valleys along course of Amu Darya and Sirdaryo Rivers;
  Fergana Valley in east surrounded by mountainous Tajikistan and
  Kyrgyzstan; shrinking Aral Sea in west
Natural resources:
  natural gas, petroleum, coal, gold, uranium, silver, copper, lead and
  zinc, tungsten, molybdenum
Land use:
arable land:
  10%
permanent crops:
  1%
meadows and pastures:
  47%
forest and woodland:
  0%
other:
  42%
Irrigated land:
  41,550 sq km (1990)
Environment:
current issues:
  drying up of the Aral Sea is resulting in growing concentrations of
  chemical pesticides and natural salts; these substances are then blown
  from the increasingly exposed lake bed and contribute to
  desertification; water pollution from industrial wastes is the cause
  of many human health disorders; increasing soil salinization; soil
  contamination from agricultural chemicals, including DDT
natural hazards:
  NA
international agreements:
  party to - Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer
  Protection
Note:
  landlocked

@Uzbekistan, People

Population:
  22,608,866 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
  2.13% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
  30.01 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
  6.51 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
  -2.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  53.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
  68.58 years
male:
  65.28 years
female:
  72.04 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  3.73 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
  Uzbek(s)
adjective:
  Uzbek
Ethnic divisions:
  Uzbek 71.4%, Russian 8.3%, Tajik 4.7%, Kazakh 4.1%, Tatar 2.4%,
  Karakalpak 2.1%, other 7%
Religions:
  Muslim 88% (mostly Sunnis), Eastern Orthodox 9%, other 3%
Languages:
  Uzbek 74.3%, Russian 14.2%, Tajik 4.4%, other 7.1%
Literacy:
  age 9-49 can read and write (1970)
total population:
  100%
male:
  100%
female:
  100%
Labor force:
  8.234 million
by occupation:
  agriculture and forestry 43%, industry and construction 22%, other 35%
  (1992)

@Uzbekistan, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
  Republic of Uzbekistan
conventional short form:
  Uzbekistan
local long form:
  Uzbekiston Respublikasi
local short form:
  none
former:
  Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic
Digraph:
  UZ
Type:
  republic
Capital:
  Tashkent (Toshkent)
Administrative divisions:
  12 wiloyatlar (singular - wiloyat), 1 autonomous republic*
  (respublikasi, singular - respublika), and 1 city** (shahri); Andijon
  Wiloyati, Bukhoro Wiloyati, Jizzakh Wiloyati, Farghona Wiloyati,
  Karakalpakstan* (Nukus), Qashqadaryo Wiloyati (Qarshi), Khorazm
  Wiloyati (Urganch), Namangan Wiloyati, Nawoiy Wiloyati, Samarqand
  Wiloyati, Sirdaryo Wiloyati (Guliston), Surkhondaryo Wiloyati
  (Termiz), Toshkent Shahri**, Toshkent Wiloyati
note:
  an administrative division has the same name as its administrative
  center (exceptions have the administrative center name following in
  parentheses)
Independence:
  31 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday:
  Independence Day, 1 September (1991)
Constitution:
  new constitution adopted 8 December 1992
Legal system:
  evolution of Soviet civil law; still lacks independent judicial system
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
  President Islam KARIMOV (since NA March 1990); election last held 29
  December 1991 (next to be held NA December 1996); results - Islam
  KARIMOV 86%, Mukhammad SOLIKH 12%, other 2%
head of government:
  Prime Minister Abdulkhashim MUTALOV (since 13 January 1992), First
  Deputy Prime Minister Ismail Hakimovitch DJURABEKOV (since NA)
cabinet:
  Cabinet of Ministers; appointed by the president with approval of the
  Supreme Assembly
Legislative branch:
  unicameral
Supreme Soviet:
  elections last held 18 February 1990 (next to be held winter 1994);
  results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (500 total) Communist
  450, ERK 10, other 40; note - total number of seats will be reduced to
  250 in next election
Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
  People's Democratic Party (PDP; formerly Communist Party), Islam A.
  KARIMOV, chairman; Erk (Freedom) Democratic Party (EDP), Muhammad
  SOLIKH, chairman (in exile); note - ERK was banned 9 December 1992
Other political or pressure groups:
  Birlik (Unity) People's Movement (BPM), Abdul Rakhim PULATOV, chairman
  (in exile); Islamic Rebirth Party (IRP), Abdullah UTAYEV, chairman
note:
  PULATOV (BPM) and SOLIKH (EDP) are both in exile in the West; UTAYEV
  (IRP) is either in prison or in exile
Member of:
  CCC, CIS, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, ILO, IMF,
  IOC, ITU, NACC, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
  Ambassador Fatikh TESHABAYEV
chancery:
  Suites 619 and 623, 1511 K Street NW, Washington DC, 20005
telephone:
  [phone]/4267
FAX:
  [phone]
consulate(s) general:
  New York
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
  Ambassador Henry L. CLARKE
embassy:
  82 Chelanzanskaya, Tashkent
mailing address:
  use embassy street address
telephone:
  [7] [phone], 77-11-32
FAX:
  [7] [phone]
Flag:
  three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and green separated
  by red fimbriations with a crescent moon and 12 stars in the upper
  hoist-side quadrant

@Uzbekistan, Economy

Overview:
  Uzbekistan is a dry, landlocked country of which 20% is intensely
  cultivated, irrigated river valleys. It is one of the poorest states
  of the former USSR with 60% of its population living in overpopulated
  rural communities. Nevertheless, Uzbekistan is the world's third
  largest cotton exporter, a major producer of gold and natural gas, and
  a regionally significant producer of chemicals and machinery. Since
  independence, the government has sought to prop up the Soviet-style
  command economy with subsidies and tight controls on prices and
  production. Such policies have buffered the economy from the sharp
  declines in output and high inflation experienced by many other former
  Soviet republics. By late 1993, however, they had become increasingly
  unsustainable as inflation soared and Russia forced the Uzbek
  Government to introduce its own currency. Faced with mounting economic
  problems, the government has increased its cooperation with
  international financial institutions, announced an acceleration of
  privatization, and stepped up efforts to attract foreign investors.
  Nevertheless, the regime is likely to resist full-fledged market
  reforms.
National product:
  GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $53.7 billion (1993 estimate from
  the UN International Comparison Program, as extended to 1991 and
  published in the World Bank's World Development Report 1993; and as
  extrapolated to 1993 using official Uzbek statistics, which are very
  uncertain because of major economic changes since 1990)
National product real growth rate:
  -3.5% (1993 est.)
National product per capita:
  $2,430 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  18% per month (1993)
Unemployment rate:
  0.2% includes only officially registered unemployed; large numbers of
  underemployed workers
Budget:
revenues:
  $NA
expenditures:
  $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exports:
  $706.5 million to outside the FSU countries (1993)
commodities:
  cotton, gold, natural gas, mineral fertilizers, ferrous metals,
  textiles, food products
partners:
  Russia, Ukraine, Eastern Europe, US
Imports:
  $947.3 million from outside the FSU countries (1993)
commodities:
  grain, machinery and parts, consumer durables, other foods
partners:
  principally other FSU countries, Czech Republic
External debt:
  $NA
Industrial production:
  growth rate -7% (1993)
Electricity:
capacity:
  11,950,000 kW
production:
  50.9 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
  2,300 kWh (1992)
Industries:
  textiles, food processing, machine building, metallurgy, natural gas
Agriculture:
  livestock, cotton, vegetables, fruits, grain
Illicit drugs:
  illicit cultivator of cannabis and opium poppy; mostly for CIS
  consumption; limited government eradication programs; used as
  transshipment points for illicit drugs to Western Europe
Economic aid:
recipient:
  $125 million by yearend 1993; future commitments for about $500
  million
Currency:
  introduced provisional som-coupons 10 November 1993 which circulated
  parallel to the Russian rubles; became the sole legal currency 31
  January 1994; will be replaced in July 1994 by the som currency
Exchange rates:
  NA
Fiscal year:
  calendar year

@Uzbekistan, Communications

Railroads:
  3,460 km; does not include industrial lines (1990)
Highways:
total:
  78,400 km
paved and gravel:
  67,000 km
unpaved:
  earth 11,400 km (1990)
Pipelines:
  crude oil 250 km; petroleum products 40 km; natural gas 810 km (1992)
Ports:
  none; landlocked
Airports:
total:
  265
usable:
  74
with permanent-surface runways:
  30
with runways over 3,659 m:
  2
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  20
with runways 1,060-2,439 m:
  19
note:
  a C-130 can land on a 1,060-m airstrip
Telecommunications:
  poorly developed; 1,458,000 telephone circuits with 68.75 circuits per
  1,000 persons (1991); linked by landline or microwave with CIS member
  states and by leased connection via the Moscow international gateway
  switch to other countries; new INTELSAT links to Tokyo and Ankara give
  Uzbekistan international access independent of Russian facilities;
  satellite earth stations - Orbita and INTELSAT; NMT-450 analog
  cellular network established in Tashkent

@Uzbekistan, Defense Forces

Branches:
  Army, National Guard, Republic Security Forces (internal and border
  troops)
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 5,388,456; fit for military service 4,403,497; reach
  military age (18) annually 222,405 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
  $NA, NA% of GDP


@Vanuatu, Geography

Location:
  Oceania, Melanesia, 5,750 km southwest of Honolulu in the South
  Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way between Hawaii and
  Australia
Map references:
  Oceania, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
  14,760 sq km
land area:
  14,760 sq km
comparative area:
  slightly larger than Connecticut
note:
  includes more than 80 islands
Land boundaries:
  0 km
Coastline:
  2,528 km
Maritime claims:
  measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
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:
  none
Climate:
  tropical; moderated by southeast trade winds
Terrain:
  mostly mountains of volcanic origin; narrow coastal plains
Natural resources:
  manganese, hardwood forests, fish
Land use:
arable land:
  1%
permanent crops:
  5%
meadows and pastures:
  2%
forest and woodland:
  1%
other:
  91%
Irrigated land:
  NA sq km
Environment:
current issues:
  NA
natural hazards:
  subject to tropical cyclones or typhoons (January to April); volcanism
  causes minor earthquakes
international agreements:
  party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Marine Dumping, Ship
  Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea

@Vanuatu, People

Population:
  169,776 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
  2.29% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
  32.21 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
  9.31 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  68.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
  59.25 years
male:
  57.51 years
female:
  61.09 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  4.31 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
  Ni-Vanuatu (singular and plural)
adjective:
  Ni-Vanuatu
Ethnic divisions:
  indigenous Melanesian 94%, French 4%, Vietnamese, Chinese, Pacific
  Islanders
Religions:
  Presbyterian 36.7%, Anglican 15%, Catholic 15%, indigenous beliefs
  7.6%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6.2%, Church of Christ 3.8%, other 15.7%
Languages:
  English (official), French (official), pidgin (known as Bislama or
  Bichelama)
Literacy:
  age 15 and over can read and write (1979)
total population:
  53%
male:
  57%
female:
  48%
Labor force:
  NA
by occupation:
  NA

@Vanuatu, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
  Republic of Vanuatu
conventional short form:
  Vanuatu
former:
  New Hebrides
Digraph:
  NH
Type:
  republic
Capital:
  Port-Vila
Administrative divisions:
  11 island councils; Ambrym, Aoba/Maewo, Banks/Torres, Efate, Epi,
  Malakula, Paama, Pentecote, Santo/Malo, Shepherd, Tafea
Independence:
  30 July 1980 (from France and UK)
National holiday:
  Independence Day, 30 July (1980)
Constitution:
  30 July 1980
Legal system:
  unified system being created from former dual French and British
  systems
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
  President Jean Marie LEYE (since 2 March 1994)
head of government:
  Prime Minister Maxime CARLOT Korman (since 16 December 1991); Deputy
  Prime Minister Sethy REGENVANU (since 17 December 1991)
cabinet:
  Council of Ministers; appointed by the prime minister, responsible to
  parliament
Legislative branch:
  unicameral
Parliament:
  elections last held 2 December 1991 (next to be held by November
  1995); note - after election, a coalition was formed by the Union of
  Moderate Parties and the National United Party to form a new
  government on 16 December 1991, but political party associations are
  fluid; seats - (46 total) UMP 19; NUP 10; VP 10; MPP 4; TUP 1;
  Nagriamel 1; Friend 1
note:
  the National Council of Chiefs advises on matters of custom and land
Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
  Vanuatu Party (VP), Donald KALPOKAS; Union of Moderate Parties (UMP),
  Serge VOHOR; Melanesian Progressive Party (MPP), Barak SOPE; National
  United Party (NUP), Walter LINI; Tan Union Party (TUP), Vincent
  BOULEKONE; Nagriamel Party, Jimmy STEVENS; Friend Melanesian Party,
  leader NA
Member of:
  ACCT, ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, IMF, IMO,
  INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, NAM, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
  Vanuatu does not have a mission in the US
US diplomatic representation:
  the ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to Vanuatu
Flag:
  two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a black
  isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) all separated by a
  black-edged yellow stripe in the shape of a horizontal Y (the two
  points of the Y face the hoist side and enclose the triangle);
  centered in the triangle is a boar's tusk encircling two crossed
  namele leaves, all in yellow

@Vanuatu, Economy

Overview:
  The economy is based primarily on subsistence farming which provides a
  living for about 80% of the population. Fishing and tourism are the
  other mainstays of the economy. Mineral deposits are negligible; the
  country has no known petroleum deposits. A small light industry sector
  caters to the local market. Tax revenues come mainly from import
  duties.
National product:
  GDP - exchange rate conversion - $142 million (1988 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  6% (1991)
National product per capita:
  $1,050 (1990)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  2.3% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate:
  NA%
Budget:
revenues:
  $90 million
expenditures:
  $103 million, including capital expenditures of $45 million (1989
  est.)
Exports:
  $14.9 million (f.o.b., 1991)
commodities:
  copra, beef, cocoa, timber, coffee
partners:
  Netherlands, Japan, France, New Caledonia, Belgium
Imports:
  $74 million (f.o.b., 1991)
commodities:
  machines and vehicles, food and beverages, basic manufactures, raw
  materials and fuels, chemicals
partners:
  Australia 36%, Japan 13%, NZ 10%, France 8%, Fiji 8%
External debt:
  $38 million (1991)
Industrial production:
  growth rate 8.1% (1990); accounts for about 10% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
  17,000 kW
production:
  30 million kWh
consumption per capita:
  180 kWh (1990)
Industries:
  food and fish freezing, wood processing, meat canning
Agriculture:
  accounts for 40% of GDP; export crops - coconuts, cocoa, coffee, fish;
  subsistence crops - taro, yams, coconuts, fruits, vegetables
Economic aid:
recipient:
  Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
  (1970-89), $606 million
Currency:
  1 vatu (VT) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates:
  vatu (VT) per US$1 - 123.48 (September 1993), 113.39 (1992), 111.68
  (1991), 116.57 (1990), 116.04 (1989)
Fiscal year:
  calendar year

@Vanuatu, Communications

Railroads:
  none
Highways:
total:
  1,027 km
paved:
  240 km
unpaved:
  787 km
Ports:
  Port-Vila, Luganville, Palikoulo
Merchant marine:
  131 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,992,201 GRT/2,909,381 DWT,
  bulk 57, cargo 23, chemical tanker 2, combination bulk 1, container 5,
  liquefied gas 3, livestock carrier 1, oil tanker 8, passenger 1,
  refrigerated cargo 19, vehicle carrier 11
note:
  a flag of convenience registry
Airports:
total:
  31
usable:
  31
with permanent-surface runways:
  2
with runways over 3,659 m:
  0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  1
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  2
Telecommunications:
  broadcast stations - 2 AM, no FM, no TV; 3,000 telephones; 1 Pacific
  Ocean INTELSAT ground station

@Vanuatu, Defense Forces

Branches:
  Vanuatu Police Force (VPF), paramilitary Vanuatu Mobile Force (VMF)
note:
  no military forces
Defense expenditures:
  $NA, NA% of GDP


@Venezuela, Geography

Location:
  Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea between Colombia
  and Guyana
Map references:
  South America, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
  912,050 sq km
land area:
  882,050 sq km
comparative area:
  slightly more than twice the size of California
Land boundaries:
  total 4,993 km, Brazil 2,200 km, Colombia 2,050 km, Guyana 743 km
Coastline:
  2,800 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
  15 nm
continental shelf:
  200-m depth or to depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone:
  200 nm
territorial sea:
  12 nm
International disputes:
  claims all of Guyana west of the Essequibo River; maritime boundary
  dispute with Colombia in the Gulf of Venezuela
Climate:
  tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands
Terrain:
  Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central plains
  (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast
Natural resources:
  petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals,
  hydropower, diamonds
Land use:
arable land:
  3%
permanent crops:
  1%
meadows and pastures:
  20%
forest and woodland:
  39%
other:
  37%
Irrigated land:
  2,640 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
  sewage pollution of Lago de Valencia; oil and urban pollution of Lago
  de Maracaibo; deforestation; soil degradation; urban and industrial
  pollution, especially along the Caribbean coast
natural hazards:
  subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts
international agreements:
  party to - Endangered Species, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test
  Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified -
  Biodiversity, Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping
Note:
  on major sea and air routes linking North and South America

@Venezuela, People

Population:
  20,562,405 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
  2.16% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
  25.74 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
  4.63 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
  0.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  27.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
  73 years
male:
  70.12 years
female:
  76.03 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  3.05 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
  Venezuelan(s)
adjective:
  Venezuelan
Ethnic divisions:
  mestizo 67%, white 21%, black 10%, Indian 2%
Religions:
  nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%
Languages:
  Spanish (official), Indian dialects spoken by about 200,000
  Amerindians in the remote interior
Literacy:
  age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population:
  88%
male:
  87%
female:
  90%
Labor force:
  5.8 million
by occupation:
  services 56%, industry 28%, agriculture 16% (1985)

@Venezuela, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
  Republic of Venezuela
conventional short form:
  Venezuela
local long form:
  Republica de Venezuela
local short form:
  Venezuela
Digraph:
  VE
Type:
  republic
Capital:
  Caracas
Administrative divisions:
  21 states (estados, singular - estado), 1 territory* (territorio), 1
  federal district** (distrito federal), and 1 federal dependence***
  (dependencia federal); Amazonas*, Anzoategui, Apure, Aragua, Barinas,
  Bolivar, Carabobo, Cojedes, Delta Amacuro, Dependencias Federales***,
  Distrito Federal**, Falcon, Guarico, Lara, Merida, Miranda, Monagas,
  Nueva Esparta, Portuguesa, Sucre, Tachira, Trujillo, Yaracuy, Zulia
note:
  the federal dependence consists of 11 federally controlled island
  groups with a total of 72 individual islands
Independence:
  5 July 1811 (from Spain)
National holiday:
  Independence Day, 5 July (1811)
Constitution:
  23 January 1961
Legal system:
  based on Napoleonic code; judicial review of legislative acts in
  Cassation Court only; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government:
  President Rafael CALDERA Rodriquez (since 2 February 1994); election
  last held 5 December 1993 (next to be held December 1998); results -
  Rafael CALDERA (National Convergence) 30.45%, Claudio FERMIN (AD)
  23.59%, Oswaldo ALVAREZ PAZ (COPEI) 22.72%, Andres VELASQUEZ (Causa R)
  21.94%, other 1.3%
cabinet:
  Council of Ministers; appointed by the president
Legislative branch:
  bicameral Congress of the Republic (Congreso de la Republica)
Senate (Senado):
  elections last held 5 December 1993 (next to be held December 1998);
  results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (52 total) AD 18, COPEI
  15, Causa R 9, MAS 5, National Convergence 5; note - 3 former
  presidents (2 from AD, 1 from COPEI) hold lifetime senate seats
Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados):
  elections last held 5 December 1993 (next to be held December 1998);
  results - AD 27.9%, COPEI 26.9%, MAS 12.4%, National Convergence
  12.9%, Causa R 19.9%; seats - (201 total) AD 55, COPEI 53, MAS 24,
  National Convergence 26, Causa R 40, other 3
Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia) Gonzalo RODRIGUEZ
  Corro, President
Political parties and leaders:
  National Convergence (Convergencia), Jose Miguel UZCATEGUI, director;
  Social Christian Party (COPEI), Hilarion CARDOZO, president, and Jose
  CURIEL, secretary general; Democratic Action (AD), Pedro PARIS
  Montesinos, president, and Luis ALFARO Ucero, secretary general;
  Movement Toward Socialism (MAS), Argelia LAYA, president, and Freddy
  MUNOZ, secretary general; Radical Cause (La Causa R), Pablo MEDINA,
  secretary general
Other political or pressure groups:
  FEDECAMARAS, a conservative business group; Venezuelan Confederation
  of Workers (CTV, labor organization dominated by the Democratic
  Action); VECINOS groups
Member of:
  AG, BCIE, CARICOM (observer), CDB, CG, ECLAC, FAO, G-3, G-11, G-15,
  G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IFAD, IFC,
  ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA,
  LORCS, MINURSO, NAM, OAS, ONUSAL, OPANAL, OPEC, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNPROFOR, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
  WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
  Ambassador Pedro Luis ECHEVERRIA
chancery:
  1099 30th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone:
  [phone]
consulate(s) general:
  Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia,
  San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
  Ambassador Jeffrey DAVIDOW
embassy:
  Avenida Francisco de Miranda and Avenida Principal de la Floresta,
  Caracas
mailing address:
  P. O. Box 62291, Caracas 1060-A, or APO AA 34037
telephone:
  [58] (2) 285-2222
FAX:
  [58] (2) 285-0336
consulate(s):
  Maracaibo (closed March 1994)
Flag:
  three equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), blue, and red with the
  coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band and an arc of seven
  white five-pointed stars centered in the blue band

@Venezuela, Economy

Overview:
  Petroleum is the backbone of the economy, accounting for 23% of GDP,
  61% of central government ordinary revenues, and 77% of export
  earnings in 1993. Former President PEREZ introduced an economic
  readjustment program when he assumed office in February 1989. Lower
  tariffs and the removal of price controls, a free market exchange
  rate, and market-linked interest rates threw the economy into
  confusion, causing an 8% decline in GDP in 1989. The economy recovered
  part way in 1990 and grew by 9.7% in 1991 and 6.8% in 1992; economic
  activity fell by 1% in 1993, primarily because of business concerns
  over political instability.
National product:
  GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $161 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  -1% (1993 est.)
National product per capita:
  $8,000 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  46% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate:
  8.2% (1993 est.)
Budget:
revenues:
  $9.8 billion
expenditures:
  $11.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $103 million (1993
  est.)
Exports:
  $14.2 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities:
  petroleum 77%, bauxite and aluminum, steel, chemicals, agricultural
  products, basic manufactures
partners:
  US and Puerto Rico 42%, Japan, Netherlands, Italy
Imports:
  $11 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities:
  raw materials, machinery and equipment, transport equipment,
  construction materials
partners:
  US 50%, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Canada
External debt:
  $28.5 billion (1993)
Industrial production:
  growth rate 6.1% (1992 est.); accounts for 40% of GDP, including
  petroleum
Electricity:
capacity:
  21,130,000 kW
production:
  58.541 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
  2,830 kWh (1992)
Industries:
  petroleum, iron-ore mining, construction materials, food processing,
  textiles, steel, aluminum, motor vehicle assembly
Agriculture:
  accounts for 6% of GDP and 16% of labor force; products - corn,
  sorghum, sugarcane, rice, bananas, vegetables, coffee, beef, pork,
  milk, eggs, fish; not self-sufficient in food other than meat
Illicit drugs:
  illicit producer of cannabis and coca leaf for the international drug
  trade on a small scale; however, large quantities of cocaine transit
  the country from Colombia; important money-laundering hub
Economic aid:
recipient:
  US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-86), $488 million; Communist
  countries (1970-89), $10 million
Currency:
  1 bolivar (Bs) = 100 centimos
Exchange rates:
  bolivares (Bs) per US$1 - 107.260 (January 1994), 90.826 (1993), 68.38
  (1992), 56.82 (1991), 46.90 (1990), 34.68 (1989)
Fiscal year:
  calendar year

@Venezuela, Communications

Railroads:
  542 km total; 363 km 1.435-meter standard gauge all single track,
  government owned; 179 km 1.435-meter gauge, privately owned
Highways:
total:
  81,000 km
paved:
  31,200 km
unpaved:
  gravel 24,800 km; earth and unimproved earth 25,000 km
Inland waterways:
  7,100 km; Rio Orinoco and Lago de Maracaibo accept oceangoing vessels
Pipelines:
  crude oil 6,370 km; petroleum products 480 km; natural gas 4,010 km
Ports:
  Amuay Bay, Bajo Grande, El Tablazo, La Guaira, Puerto Cabello, Puerto
  Ordaz
Merchant marine:
  47 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 741,688 GRT/1,204,233 DWT, bulk
  4, cargo 16, combination bulk 1, container 1, liquefied gas 2, oil
  tanker 17, passenger cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 4, short-sea
  passenger 1
Airports:
total:
  425
usable:
  392
with permanent-surface runways:
  139
with runways over 3,659 m:
  0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  15
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  92
Telecommunications:
  modern and expanding; 1,440,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 181
  AM, no FM, 59 TV, 26 shortwave; 3 submarine coaxial cables; satellite
  ground stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 3 domestic

@Venezuela, Defense Forces

Branches:
  National Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas Nacionales, FAN) includes -
  Ground Forces or Army (Fuerzas Terrestres or Ejercito), Naval Forces
  (Fuerzas Navales or Armada), Air Forces (Fuerzas Aereas or Aviacion),
  Armed Forces of Cooperation or National Guard (Fuerzas Armadas de
  Cooperation or Guardia Nacional)
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 5,341,855; fit for military service 3,875,523; reach
  military age (18) annually 224,550 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $1.95 billion, 4% of GDP (1991)


@Vietnam, Geography

Location:
  Southeastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea, between Laos and the
  Philippines
Map references:
  Asia, Southeast Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
  329,560 sq km
land area:
  325,360 sq km
comparative area:
  slightly larger than New Mexico
Land boundaries:
  total 3,818 km, Cambodia 982 km, China 1,281 km, Laos 1,555 km
Coastline:
  3,444 km (excludes islands)
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
  24 nm
continental shelf:
  200 nm or the edge of continental margin
exclusive economic zone:
  200 nm
territorial sea:
  12 nm
International disputes:
  maritime boundary with Cambodia not defined; involved in a complex
  dispute over the Spratly Islands with China, Malaysia, Philippines,
  Taiwan, and possibly Brunei; unresolved maritime boundary with
  Thailand; maritime boundary dispute with China in the Gulf of Tonkin;
  Paracel Islands occupied by China but claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan
Climate:
  tropical in south; monsoonal in north with hot, rainy season (mid-May
  to mid-September) and warm, dry season (mid-October to mid-March)
Terrain:
  low, flat delta in south and north; central highlands; hilly,
  mountainous in far north and northwest
Natural resources:
  phosphates, coal, manganese, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil deposits,
  forests
Land use:
arable land:
  22%
permanent crops:
  2%
meadows and pastures:
  1%
forest and woodland:
  40%
other:
  35%
Irrigated land:
  18,300 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
  deforestation; soil degradation; water pollution and overfishing
  threatening marine life populations
natural hazards:
  occasional typhoons (May to January) with extensive flooding
international agreements:
  party to - Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
  Pollution, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate
  Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban

@Vietnam, People

Population:
  73,103,898 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
  1.78% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
  27.13 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
  7.76 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
  -1.53 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  45.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
  65.41 years
male:
  63.37 years
female:
  67.58 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  3.33 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
  Vietnamese (singular and plural)
adjective:
  Vietnamese
Ethnic divisions:
  Vietnamese 85-90%, Chinese 3%, Muong, Thai, Meo, Khmer, Man, Cham
Religions:
  Buddhist, Taoist, Roman Catholic, indigenous beliefs, Islamic,
  Protestant
Languages:
  Vietnamese (official), French, Chinese, English, Khmer, tribal
  languages (Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian)
Literacy:
  age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
total population:
  88%
male:
  93%
female:
  83%
Labor force:
  32.7 million
by occupation:
  agricultural 65%, industrial and service 35% (1990 est.)

@Vietnam, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
  Socialist Republic of Vietnam
conventional short form:
  Vietnam
local long form:
  Cong Hoa Chu Nghia Viet Nam
local short form:
  Viet Nam
Abbreviation:
  SRV
Digraph:
  VM
Type:
  Communist state
Capital:
  Hanoi
Administrative divisions:
  50 provinces (tinh, singular and plural), 3 municipalities* (thanh
  pho, singular and plural); An Giang, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Bac Thai, Ben
  Tre, Binh Dinh, Binh Thuan, Can Tho, Cao Bang, Dac Lac, Dong Nai, Dong
  Thap, Gia Lai, Ha Bac, Ha Giang, Ha Noi*, Ha Tay, Ha Tinh, Hai Hung,
  Hai Phong*, Ho Chi Minh*, Hoa Binh, Khanh Hoa, Kien Giang, Kon Tum,
  Lai Chau, Lam Dong, Lang Son, Lao Cai, Long An, Minh Hai, Nam Ha, Nghe
  An, Ninh Binh, Ninh Thuan, Phu Yen, Quang Binh, Quang Nam-Da Nang,
  Quang Ngai, Quang Ninh, Quang Tri, Soc Trang, Son La, Song Be, Tay
  Ninh, Thai Binh, Thanh Hoa, Thua Thien, Tien Giang, Tra Vinh, Tuyen
  Quang, Vinh Long, Vinh Phu, Yen Bai
Independence:
  2 September 1945 (from France)
National holiday:
  Independence Day, 2 September (1945)
Constitution:
  15 April 1992
Legal system:
  based on Communist legal theory and French civil law system
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
  President Le Duc ANH (since 23 September 1992)
head of government:
  Prime Minister Vo Van KIET (since 9 August 1991); First Deputy Prime
  Minister Phan Van KHAI (since 10 August 1991); Deputy Prime Minister
  Nguyen KHANH (since NA February 1987); Deputy Prime Minister Tran Duc
  LUONG (since NA February 1987)
cabinet:
  Cabinet;  appointed by the president on proposal of the prime minister
  and ratification of the Assembly
Legislative branch:
  unicameral
National Assembly (Quoc-Hoi):
  elections last held 19 July 1992 (next to be held NA July 1997);
  results - VCP is the only party; seats - (395 total) VCP or
  VCP-approved 395
Judicial branch:
  Supreme People's Court
Political parties and leaders:
  only party - Vietnam Communist Party (VCP), DO MUOI, general secretary
Member of:
  ACCT, AsDB, ASEAN (observer), ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA,
  IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer),
  ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO,
  WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
  none; Ambassador Le Van BANG is the Permanent Representative to the UN
US diplomatic representation:
  none
Flag:
  red with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center

@Vietnam, Economy

Overview:
  Vietnam has made significant progress in recent years moving away from
  the planned economic model toward a more effective market-based
  economic system. Most prices are now fully decontrolled, and the
  Vietnamese currency has been effectively devalued and floated at world
  market rates. In addition, the scope for private sector activity has
  been expanded, primarily through decollectivization of the
  agricultural sector and introduction of laws giving legal recognition
  to private business. Nearly three-quarters of export earnings are
  generated by only two commodities, rice and crude oil. Led by industry
  and construction, the economy did well in 1993 with output rising
  perhaps 7%. However, the industrial sector remains burdened by
  uncompetitive state-owned enterprises the government is unwilling or
  unable to privatize. Unemployment looms as a serious problem with
  roughly 25% of the workforce without jobs and with population growth
  swelling the ranks of the unemployed yearly.
National product:
  GNP - purchasing power equivalent - $72 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  7% (1993 est.)
National product per capita:
  $1,000 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  5.2% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate:
  25% (1993 est.)
Budget:
revenues:
  $1.9 billion
expenditures:
  $2 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992)
Exports:
  $2.6 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities:
  petroleum, rice, agricultural products, marine products, coffee
partners:
  Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Germany, Indonesia
Imports:
  $3.1 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities:
  petroleum products, steel products, railroad equipment, chemicals,
  medicines, raw cotton, fertilizer, grain
partners:
  Hong Kong, Japan, Indonesia, South Korea, Taiwan
External debt:
  $3.4 billion Western countries; $4.5 billion CEMA debts primarily to
  Russia;  $700 million commercial debts (1993 est.)
Industrial production:
  growth rate 15% (1992); accounts for 20% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
  3,300,000 kW
production:
  9 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
  130 kWh (1992)
Industries:
  food processing, textiles, machine building, mining, cement, chemical
  fertilizer, glass, tires, oil
Agriculture:
  accounts for almost 40% of GDP; paddy rice, corn, potatoes make up 50%
  of farm output; commercial crops (rubber, soybeans, coffee, tea,
  bananas) and animal products 50%; since 1989 self-sufficient in food
  staple rice; fish catch of 943,100 metric tons (1989 est.)
Illicit drugs:
  minor opium producer and secondary transit point for Southeast Asian
  heroin destined for the US and Europe
Economic aid:
recipient:
  $1.9 billion in credits and grants pledged by international donors for
  1994, Japan largest contributor with $550 million
Currency:
  1 new dong (D) = 100 xu
Exchange rates:
  new dong (D) per US$1 - 10,800 (November 1993), 8,100 (July 1991),
  7,280 (December 1990), 3,996 (March 1990); note - 1985-89 figures are
  end of year
Fiscal year:
  calendar year

@Vietnam, Communications

Railroads:
  3,059 km total; 2,454 1.000-meter gauge, 151 km 1.435-meter (standard)
  gauge, 230 km dual gauge (three rails), and 224 km not restored to
  service after war damage
Highways:
total:
  85,000 km
paved:
  9,400 km
unpaved:
  gravel, improved earth 48,700 km; unimproved earth 26,900 km
Inland waterways:
  17,702 km navigable; more than 5,149 km navigable at all times by
  vessels up to 1.8 meter draft
Pipelines:
  petroleum products 150 km
Ports:
  Da Nang, Haiphong, Ho Chi Minh City
Merchant marine:
  101 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 460,225 GRT/741,231 DWT, bulk
  3, cargo 86, oil tanker 8, refrigerated cargo 3, roll-on/roll-off
  cargo 1
Airports:
total:
  100
usable:
  100
with permanent-surface runways:
  50
with runways over 3,659 m:
  0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  10
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  20
Telecommunications:
  the inadequacies of the obsolete switching equipment and cable system
  is a serious constraint on the business sector and on economic growth,
  and restricts access to the international links that Vietnam has
  established with most major countries; the telephone system is not
  generally available for private use (25 telephones for each 10,000
  persons); 3 satellite earth stations; broadcast stations - NA AM, 288
  FM; 36 (77 repeaters) TV; about 2,500,000 TV receivers and 7,000,000
  radio receivers in use (1991)

@Vietnam, Defense Forces

Branches:
People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) including:
  Ground, Navy (including Naval Infantry), Air Force
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 18,281,483; fit for military service 11,602,318; reach
  military age (17) annually 762,943 (1994 est.)

Defense expenditures:
  $NA, NA% of GNP


@Virgin Islands

Header
Affiliation:
  (territory of the US)

@Virgin Islands, Geography

Location:
  Caribbean, in the eastern Caribbean Sea, about 110 km east and
  southeast of Puerto Rico
Map references:
  Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total area:
  352 sq km
land area:
  349 sq km
comparative area:
  slightly less than twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
  0 km
Coastline:
  188 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:
  subtropical, tempered by easterly tradewinds, relatively low humidity,
  little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season May to November
Terrain:
  mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land
Natural resources:
  sun, sand, sea, surf
Land use:
arable land:
  15%
permanent crops:
  6%
meadows and pastures:
  26%
forest and woodland:
  6%
other:
  47%
Irrigated land:
  NA sq km
Environment:
current issues:
  lack of natural freshwater resources
natural hazards:
  rarely affected by hurricanes; subject to frequent severe droughts,
  floods, earthquakes
international agreements:
  NA
Note:
  important location along the Anegada Passage - a key shipping lane for
  the Panama Canal; Saint Thomas has one of the best natural, deepwater
  harbors in the Caribbean

@Virgin Islands, People

Population:
  97,564 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
  -0.52% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
  19.41 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
  5.2 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
  -19.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  12.54 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
  75.29 years
male:
  73.6 years
female:
  77.2 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  2.53 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
  Virgin Islander(s)
adjective:
  Virgin Islander
Ethnic divisions:
  West Indian (45% born in the Virgin Islands and 29% born elsewhere in
  the West Indies) 74%, US mainland 13%, Puerto Rican 5%, other 8%;
  black 80%, white 15%, other 5%; Hispanic origin 14%
Religions:
  Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%, other 7%
Languages:
  English (official), Spanish, Creole
Literacy:
total population:
  NA%
male:
  NA%
female:
  NA%
Labor force:
  45,500 (1988)
by occupation:
  tourism 70%

@Virgin Islands, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
  Virgin Islands of the United States
conventional short form:
  Virgin Islands
Digraph:
  VQ
Type:
  organized, unincorporated territory of the US administered by the
  Office of Territorial and International Affairs, US Department of the
  Interior
Capital:
  Charlotte Amalie
Administrative divisions:
  none (territory of the US)
National holiday:
  Transfer Day, 31 March (1917) (from Denmark to US)
Constitution:
  Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954
Legal system:
  based on US
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal; note - indigenous inhabitants are US
  citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections
Executive branch:
chief of state:
  President William Jefferson CLINTON (since 20 January 1993); Vice
  President Albert GORE, Jr. (since 20 January 1993)
head of government:
  Governor Alexander A. FARRELLY (since 5 January 1987); Lieutenant
  Governor Derek M. HODGE (since 5 January 1987); election last held 6
  November 1990 (next to be held November 1994); results - Governor
  Alexander FARRELLY (Democratic Party) 56.5% defeated Juan LUIS
  (independent) 38.5%
Legislative branch:
  unicameral
Senate:
  elections last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held 2 November 1994);
  results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (15 total) number of
  seats by party NA
US House of Representatives:
  elections last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held 2 November 1994);
  results - Ron DE LUGO reelected as delegate; seats - (1 total); seat
  by party NA; note - the Virgin Islands elect one representative to the
  US House of Representatives
Judicial branch:
US District Court:
  handles civil matters over $50,000, felonies (persons 15 years of age
  and over), and federal cases
Territorial Court:
  handles civil matters up to $50,000, small claims, juvenile, domestic,
  misdemeanors, and traffic cases
Political parties and leaders:
  Democratic Party, Marilyn STAPLETON; Independent Citizens' Movement
  (ICM), Virdin C. BROWN; Republican Party, Charlotte-Poole DAVIS
Member of:
  ECLAC (associate), IOC
Diplomatic representation in US:
  none (territory of the US)
US diplomatic representation:
  none (territory of the US)
Flag:
  white with a modified US coat of arms in the center between the large
  blue initials V and I; the coat of arms shows an eagle holding an
  olive branch in one talon and three arrows in the other with a
  superimposed shield of vertical red and white stripes below a blue
  panel

@Virgin Islands, Economy

Overview:
  Tourism is the primary economic activity, accounting for more than 70%
  of GDP and 70% of employment. The manufacturing sector consists of
  textile, electronics, pharmaceutical, and watch assembly plants. The
  agricultural sector is small, most food being imported. International
  business and financial services are a small but growing component of
  the economy. One of the world's largest petroleum refineries is at
  Saint Croix.
National product:
  GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $1.2 billion (1987)
National product real growth rate:
  NA%
National product per capita:
  $11,000 (1987)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  NA%
Unemployment rate:
  3.7% (1992)
Budget:
revenues:
  $364.4 million
expenditures:
  $364.4 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990 est.)
Exports:
  $2.8 billion (f.o.b., 1990)
commodities:
  refined petroleum products
partners:
  US, Puerto Rico
Imports:
  $3.3 billion (c.i.f., 1990)
commodities:
  crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, building materials
partners:
  US, Puerto Rico
External debt:
  $NA
Industrial production:
  growth rate 12% (year NA); accounts for NA% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
  380,000 kW
production:
  565 million kWh
consumption per capita:
  5,710 kWh (1992)
Industries:
  tourism, petroleum refining, watch assembly, rum distilling,
  construction, pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics
Agriculture:
  truck gardens, food crops (small scale), fruit, sorghum, Senepol
  cattle
Economic aid:
recipient:
  Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
  (1970-89), $42 million
Currency:
  1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
  US currency is used
Fiscal year:
  1 October - 30 September

@Virgin Islands, Communications

Highways:
total:
  856 km
paved:
  NA
unpaved:
  NA
Ports:
  Saint Croix - Christiansted, Frederiksted; Saint Thomas - Long Bay,
  Crown Bay, Red Hook; Saint John - Cruz Bay
Airports:
total:
  2
usable:
  2
with permanent-surface runways :
  2
with runways over 3,659 m:
  0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  0
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  2
note:
  international airports on Saint Thomas and Saint Croix
Telecommunications:
  modern telephone system using fiber-optic cable, submarine cable,
  microwave radio, and satellite facilities; 58,931 telephones; 98,000
  radios; 63,000 TV sets in use; broadcast stations - 4 AM, 8 FM, 4 TV
  (1988)

@Virgin Islands, Defense Forces

Note:
  defense is the responsibility of the US


@Wake Island

Header
Affiliation:
  (territory of the US)

@Wake Island, Geography

Location:
  Oceania, Micronesia, in the North Pacific Ocean, 3,700 km west of
  Honolulu, about two-thirds of the way between Hawaii and the Northern
  Mariana Islands
Map references:
  Oceania
Area:
total area:
  6.5 sq km
land area:
  6.5 sq km
comparative area:
  about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
  0 km
Coastline:
  19.3 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:
  claimed by the Republic of the Marshall Islands
Climate:
  tropical
Terrain:
  atoll of three coral islands built up on an underwater volcano;
  central lagoon is former crater, islands are part of the rim; average
  elevation less than 4 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:
  subject to occasional typhoons
international agreements:
  NA
Note:
  strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean; emergency landing
  location for transpacific flights

@Wake Island, People

Population:
  302 (July 1994 est.)

@Wake Island, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
  none
conventional short form:
  Wake Island
Digraph:
  WQ
Type:
  unincorporated territory of the US administered by the US Air Force
  (under an agreement with the US Department of Interior) since 24 June
  1972; presently administered by Base Commander, Major James ANDEL
  until August 1994, when Willis ALLEY will take over until July 1995
Capital:
  none; administered from Washington, DC
Independence:
  none (territory of the US)
Flag:
  the US flag is used

@Wake Island, 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 US military

@Wake Island, Communications

Ports:
  none; because of the reefs, there are only two offshore anchorages for
  large ships
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 runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  0
Telecommunications:
  satellite communications; 1 Autovon circuit off the Overseas Telephone
  System (OTS); Armed Forces Radio/Television Service (AFRTS) radio and
  television service provided by satellite; broadcast station - closed
  early 1992.
Note:
  formerly an important commercial aviation base, now used by US
  military, some commercial cargo planes, as well as the US Army Space
  and Strategic Defense Command for missile launches

@Wake Island, Defense Forces

  defense is the responsibility of the US


@Wallis and Futuna

Header
Affiliation:
  (overseas territory of France)

@Wallis and Futuna, Geography

Location:
  Oceania, Polynesia in the South Pacific Ocean, 4,600 km southwest of
  Honolulu, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Map references:
  Oceania
Area:
total area:
  274 sq km
land area:
  274 sq km
comparative area:
  slightly larger than Washington, DC
note:
  includes Ile Uvea (Wallis Island), Ile Futuna (Futuna Island), Ile
  Alofi, and 20 islets
Land boundaries:
  0 km
Coastline:
  129 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone:
  200 nm
territorial sea:
  12 nm
International disputes:
  none
Climate:
  tropical; hot, rainy season (November to April); cool, dry season (May
  to October)
Terrain:
  volcanic origin; low hills
Natural resources:
  negligible
Land use:
arable land:
  5%
permanent crops:
  20%
meadows and pastures:
  0%
forest and woodland:
  0%
other:
  75%
Irrigated land:
  NA sq km
Environment:
current issues:
  NA
natural hazards:
  NA
international agreements:
  NA
Note:
  both island groups have fringing reefs

@Wallis and Futuna, People

Population:
  14,338 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
  1.13% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
  25.74 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
  5.26 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
  -9.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  26.26 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
  71.72 years
male:
  71.08 years
female:
  72.4 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  3.23 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
  Wallisian(s), Futunan(s), or Wallis and Futuna Islanders
adjective:
  Wallisian, Futunan, or Wallis and Futuna Islander
Ethnic divisions:
  Polynesian
Religions:
  Roman Catholic
Languages:
  French, Wallisian (indigenous Polynesian language)
Literacy:
  all ages can read and write (1969)
total population:
  50%
male:
  50%
female:
  51%
Labor force:
  NA
by occupation:
  agriculture, livestock, and fishing 80%, government 4% (est.)

@Wallis and Futuna, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
  Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands
conventional short form:
  Wallis and Futuna
local long form:
  Territoire des Iles Wallis et Futuna
local short form:
  Wallis et Futuna
Digraph:
  WF
Type:
  overseas territory of France
Capital:
  Mata-Utu (on Ile Uvea)
Administrative divisions:
  none (overseas territory of France)
Independence:
  none (overseas territory of France)
Constitution:
  28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system:
  French legal system
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
  President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981)
head of government:
  High Administrator Philippe LEGRIX (since NA); President of the
  Territorial Assembly Soane Noni UHILA (since NA March 1992)
cabinet:
  Council of the Territory consists of 3 kings and 3 members appointed
  by the high administrator on advice of the Territorial Assembly
note:
  there are three traditional kings with limited powers
Legislative branch:
  unicameral
Territorial Assembly (Assemblee Territoriale):
  elections last held 15 March 1987 (next to be held NA March 1992);
  results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (20 total) RPR 7, UPL
  5, UDF 4, UNF 4
French Senate:
  elections last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held by NA September
  1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (1 total) RPR 1
French National Assembly:
  elections last held 21 and 28 March 1992 (next to be held by NA
  September 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (1
  total) MRG 1
Judicial branch:
  none; justice generally administered under French law by the chief
  administrator, but the three traditional kings administer customary
  law and there is a magistrate in Mata-Utu
Political parties and leaders:
  Rally for the Republic (RPR); Union Populaire Locale (UPL); Union Pour
  la Democratie Francaise (UDF); Lua kae tahi (Giscardians); Mouvement
  des Radicaux de Gauche (MRG)
Member of:
  FZ, SPC
Diplomatic representation in US:
  none (overseas territory of France)
US diplomatic representation:
  none (overseas territory of France)
Flag:
  the flag of France is used

@Wallis and Futuna, Economy

Overview:
  The economy is limited to traditional subsistence agriculture, with
  about 80% of the labor force earning its livelihood from agriculture
  (coconuts and vegetables), livestock (mostly pigs), and fishing. About
  4% of the population is employed in government. Revenues come from
  French Government subsidies, licensing of fishing rights to Japan and
  South Korea, import taxes, and remittances from expatriate workers in
  New Caledonia. Wallis and Futuna imports food, fuel, clothing,
  machinery, and transport equipment, but its exports are negligible,
  consisting of copra and handicrafts.
National product:
  GDP - exchange rate conversion - $25 million (1991 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  NA%
National product per capita:
  $1,500 (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  NA%
Unemployment rate:
  NA%
Budget:
revenues:
  $2.7 million
expenditures:
  $2.7 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1983 est.)
Exports:
  negligible
commodities:
  copra, handicrafts
partners:
  NA
Imports:
  $13.3 million (c.i.f., 1984)
commodities:
  foodstuffs, manufactured goods, transportation equipment, fuel
partners:
  France, Australia, New Zealand
External debt:
  $NA
Industrial production:
  growth rate NA%
Electricity:
capacity:
  1,200 kW
production:
  1 million kWh
consumption per capita:
  70 kWh (1990)
Industries:
  copra, handicrafts, fishing, lumber
Agriculture:
  dominated by coconut production, with subsistence crops of yams, taro,
  bananas, and herds of pigs and goats
Economic aid:
recipient:
  Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
  (1970-89), $118 million
Currency:
  1 CFP franc (CFPF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates:
  Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1 - 107.63
  (January 1994), 102.96 (1993), 96.24 (1992), 102.57 (1991), 99.0
  (1990), 115.99 (1989); note - linked at the rate of 18.18 to the
  French franc
Fiscal year:
  NA

@Wallis and Futuna, Communications

Highways:
total:
  120 km (Ile Uvea 100 km, Ile Futuna 20km)
paved:
  16 km (on Il Uvea)
unpaved:
  104 km (Ile Uvea 84 km, Ile Futuna 20 km)
Inland waterways:
  none
Ports:
  Mata-Utu, Leava
Airports:
total:
  2
usable:
  2
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:
  225 telephones; broadcast stations - 1 AM, no FM, no TV

@Wallis and Futuna, Defense Forces

Note:
  defense is the responsibility of France


@West Bank

Header
  The war between Israel and Egypt, Syria, and Jordan in June 1967 ended
  with Israel in control of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, the Gaza
  Strip, the Sinai Peninsula, and the Golan Heights. Israel withdrew
  from the Sinai Peninsula pursuant to a 1979 peace treaty with Egypt.
  The Israeli-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government
  Arrangements ("the DOP"), signed in Washington on 13 September 1993,
  provides for a transitional period not exceeding five years of
  Palestinian interim self-government in the Gaza Strip and the West
  Bank. Under the DOP, final status negotiations are to begin no later
  than the beginning of the third year of the transitional period.

@West Bank, Geography

Location:
  Middle East, between Jordan and Israel
Map references:
  Middle East
Area:
total area:
  5,860 sq km
land area:
  5,640 sq km
comparative area:
  slightly larger than Delaware
note:
  includes West Bank, East Jerusalem, Latrun Salient, Jerusalem No Man's
  Land, and the northwest quarter of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt.
  Scopus
Land boundaries:
  total 404 km, Israel 307 km, Jordan 97 km
Coastline:
  0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
  none; landlocked
International disputes:
  West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli occupied with interim status
  subject to Israeli/Palestinian negotiations - final status to be
  determined
Climate:
  temperate, temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm to
  hot summers, cool to mild winters
Terrain:
  mostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west, but barren in
  east
Natural resources:
  negligible
Land use:
arable land:
  27%
permanent crops:
  0%
meadows and pastures:
  32%
forest and woodland:
  1%
other:
  40%
Irrigated land:
  NA sq km
Environment:
current issues:
  NA
natural hazards:
  NA
international agreements:
  NA
Note:
  landlocked; highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal
  aquifers; there are 200 Jewish settlements and civilian land use sites
  in the West Bank and 25 in East Jerusalem (April 1994)

@West Bank, People

Population:
  1,443,790 (July 1994 est.)
note:
  in addition, there are 110,500 Jewish settlers in the West Bank and
  144,100 in East Jerusalem (1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
  2.68% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
  32.48 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
  5.11 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
  -0.59 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  33.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
  70.39 years
male:
  68.88 years
female:
  71.98 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  4.2 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
  NA
adjective:
  NA
Ethnic divisions:
  Palestinian Arab and other 88%, Jewish 12%
Religions:
  Muslim 80% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 12%, Christian and other 8%
Languages:
  Arabic, Hebrew spoken by Israeli settlers, English widely understood
Literacy:
total population:
  NA%
male:
  NA%
female:
  NA%
Labor force:
  NA
by occupation:
  construction 28.2%, agriculture 21.8%, industry 14.5%, commerce,
  restaurants, and hotels 12.6%, other services 22.9% (1991)
note:
  excluding Jewish settlers

@West Bank, Government

Note:
  Under the Israeli-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim
  Self-Government Arragements ("the DOP"), Israel agreed to transfer
  certain powers and responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority, and
  subsequently to an elected Palestinian Council, as part of interim
  self-governing arrangements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. A
  transfer of powers and responsibilities for the Gaza Strip and Jericho
  has taken place pursuant to the Israel-PLO 4 May 1994 Cairo Agreement
  on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area. The DOP provides that Israel
  will retain responsibility during the transitional period for external
  security and for internal security and public order of settlements and
  Israelis. Final status is to be determined through direct negotiations
  within five years.
Names:
conventional long form:
  none
conventional short form:
  West Bank
Digraph:
  WE

@West Bank, Economy

Overview:
  Economic progress in the West Bank has been hampered by Israeli
  military administration and the effects of the Palestinian uprising
  (intifadah). Industries using advanced technology or requiring sizable
  investment have been discouraged by a lack of local capital and
  restrictive Israeli policies. Capital investment consists largely of
  residential housing, not productive assets that would enable local
  Palestinian firms to compete with Israeli industry. A major share of
  GNP has traditionally been derived from remittances of workers
  employed in Israel and Persian Gulf states. Such transfers from the
  Gulf dropped after Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990. In the wake of
  the Persian Gulf crisis, many Palestinians have returned to the West
  Bank, increasing unemployment, and export revenues have dropped
  because of the decline of markets in Jordan and the Gulf states.
  Israeli measures to curtail the intifadah also have added to
  unemployment and lowered living standards. The area's economic
  situation has worsened since Israel's partial closure of the
  territories in 1993.
National product:
  GNP - exchange rate conversion - $2 billion (1991 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  -7% (1991 est.)
National product per capita:
  $2,050 (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  12% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
  15% (1991 est.)
Budget:
revenues:
  $43.4 million
expenditures:
  $43.7 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY90)
Exports:
  $175 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
commodities:
  olives, fruit, vegetables
partners:
  Jordan, Israel
Imports:
  $775 million (c.i.f., 1991 est.)
commodities:
  food, consumer goods, construction materials
partners:
  Jordan, Israel
External debt:
  $NA
Industrial production:
  growth rate -1% (1991); accounts for about 6% of GNP
Electricity:
  power supplied by Israel
Industries:
  generally small family businesses that produce cement, textiles, soap,
  olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelis have
  established some small-scale modern industries in the settlements and
  industrial centers
Agriculture:
  accounts for about 23% of GNP; olives, citrus and other fruits,
  vegetables, beef, and dairy products
Economic aid:
  $NA
Currency:
  1 new Israeli shekel (NIS) = 100 new agorot; 1 Jordanian dinar (JD) =
  1,000 fils
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);
  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 (since 1 January 1992)

@West Bank, Communications

Highways:
total:
  NA
paved:
  NA
unpaved:
  NA
note:
  small road network, Israelis developing east-west axial highways to
  service new settlements
Airports:
total:
  2
usable:
  2
with permanent-surface runways:
  2
with runways over 3,659 m:
  0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  0
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  1
Telecommunications:
  open-wire telephone system currently being upgraded; broadcast
  stations - no AM, no FM, no TV

@West Bank, Defense Forces

Branches:
  NA
Defense expenditures:
  $NA, NA% of GDP


@Western Sahara, Geography

Location:
  Northern Africa, along the Atlantic Ocean, between Morocco and
  Mauritania
Map references:
  Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
  266,000 sq km
land area:
  266,000 sq km
comparative area:
  slightly smaller than Colorado
Land boundaries:
  total 2,046 km, Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km
Coastline:
  1,110 km
Maritime claims:
  contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue
International disputes:
  claimed and administered by Morocco, but sovereignty is unresolved and
  the UN is attempting to hold a referendum on the issue; the
  UN-administered cease-fire has been currently in effect since
  September 1991
Climate:
  hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog
  and heavy dew
Terrain:
  mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces
  rising to small mountains in south and northeast
Natural resources:
  phosphates, iron ore
Land use:
arable land:
  0%
permanent crops:
  0%
meadows and pastures:
  19%
forest and woodland:
  0%
other:
  81%
Irrigated land:
  NA sq km
Environment:
current issues:
  sparse water and arable land
natural hazards:
  hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind can occur during winter and
  spring; widespread harmattan haze exists 60% of time, often severely
  restricting visibility
international agreements:
  NA

@Western Sahara, People

Population:
  211,877 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
  2.5% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
  47.22 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
  19.04 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
  -3.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  152.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
  45.59 years
male:
  44.66 years
female:
  46.83 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  6.96 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
  Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s)
adjective:
  Sahrawian, Sahraouian
Ethnic divisions:
  Arab, Berber
Religions:
  Muslim
Languages:
  Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic
Literacy:
total population:
  NA%
male:
  NA%
female:
  NA%
Labor force:
  12,000
by occupation:
  animal husbandry and subsistence farming 50%

@Western Sahara, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
  none
conventional short form:
  Western Sahara
Digraph:
  WI
Type:
  legal status of territory and question of sovereignty unresolved;
  territory contested by Morocco and Polisario Front (Popular Front for
  the Liberation of the Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro), which in
  February 1976 formally proclaimed a government in exile of the Sahrawi
  Arab Democratic Republic (SADR); territory partitioned between Morocco
  and Mauritania in April 1976, with Morocco acquiring northern
  two-thirds; Mauritania, under pressure from Polisario guerrillas,
  abandoned all claims to its portion in August 1979; Morocco moved to
  occupy that sector shortly thereafter and has since asserted
  administrative control; the Polisario's government in exile was seated
  as an OAU member in 1984; guerrilla activities continued sporadically,
  until a UN-monitored cease-fire was implemented 6 September 1991
Capital:
  none
Administrative divisions:
  none (under de facto control of Morocco)
Executive branch:
  none
Member of:
  none
Diplomatic representation in US:
  none
US diplomatic representation:
  none

@Western Sahara, Economy

Overview:
  Western Sahara, a territory poor in natural resources and having
  little rainfall, has a per capita GDP of roughly $300. Pastoral
  nomadism, fishing, and phosphate mining are the principal sources of
  income for the population. Most of the food for the urban population
  must be imported. All trade and other economic activities are
  controlled by the Moroccan Government.
National product:
  GDP - exchange rate conversion - $60 million (1991 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  NA%
National product per capita:
  $300 (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  NA%
Unemployment rate:
  NA%
Budget:
revenues:
  $NA
expenditures:
  $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exports:
  $8 million (f.o.b., 1982 est.)
commodities:
  phosphates 62%
partners:
  Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are
  included in overall Moroccan accounts
Imports:
  $30 million (c.i.f., 1982 est.)
commodities:
  fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs
partners:
  Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are
  included in overall Moroccan accounts
External debt:
  $NA
Industrial production:
  growth rate NA%
Electricity:
capacity:
  60,000 kW
production:
  79 million kWh
consumption per capita:
  425 kWh (1989)
Industries:
  phosphate mining, fishing, handicrafts
Agriculture:
  limited largely to subsistence agriculture; some barley is grown in
  nondrought years; fruit and vegetables are grown in the few oases;
  food imports are essential; camels, sheep, and goats are kept by the
  nomadic natives; cash economy exists largely for the garrison forces
Economic aid:
  $NA
Currency:
  1 Moroccan dirham (DH) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates:
  Moroccan dirhams (DH) per US$1 - 9.669 (January 1994), 9.299 (1993),
  8.538 (1992), 8.707 (1991), 8.242 (1990), 8.488 (1989)
Fiscal year:
  NA

@Western Sahara, Communications

Highways:
total:
  6,200 km
unpaved:
  gravel 1,450 km; improved, unimproved earth, tracks 4,750 km
Ports:
  El Aaiun, Ad Dakhla
Airports:
total:
  14
usable:
  14
with permanent-surface runways:
  3
with runways over 3,659 m:
  0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  3
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  5
Telecommunications:
  sparse and limited system; tied into Morocco's system by microwave
  radio relay, troposcatter, and 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth
  stations linked to Rabat, Morocco; 2,000 telephones; broadcast
  stations - 2 AM, no FM, 2 TV

@Western Sahara, Defense Forces

Branches:
  NA
Defense expenditures:
  $NA, NA% of GDP