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

Text File | 1996-01-10 | 60KB | 1,884 lines

@Western Samoa, Geography

Location:
  Oceania, Polynesia, 4,300 km southwest of Honolulu in the South
  Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand
Map references:
  Oceania, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
  2,860 sq km
land area:
  2,850 sq km
comparative area:
  slightly smaller than Rhode Island
Land boundaries:
  0 km
Coastline:
  403 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone:
  200 nm
territorial sea:
  12 nm
International disputes:
  none
Climate:
  tropical; rainy season (October to March), dry season (May to October)
Terrain:
  narrow coastal plain with volcanic, rocky, rugged mountains in
  interior
Natural resources:
  hardwood forests, fish
Land use:
arable land:
  19%
permanent crops:
  24%
meadows and pastures:
  0%
forest and woodland:
  47%
other:
  10%
Irrigated land:
  NA sq km
Environment:
current issues:
  soil erosion
natural hazards:
  subject to occasional typhoons; active volcanism
international agreements:
  party to - Biodiversity; signed, but not ratified - Climate Change,
  Law of the Sea

@Western Samoa, People

Population:
  204,447 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
  2.38% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
  32.41 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
  6.02 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
  -2.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  37 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
  67.97 years
male:
  65.59 years
female:
  70.48 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  4.16 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
  Western Samoan(s)
adjective:
  Western Samoan
Ethnic divisions:
  Samoan 92.6%, Euronesians 7% (persons of European and Polynesian
  blood), Europeans 0.4%
Religions:
  Christian 99.7% (about half of population associated with the London
  Missionary Society; includes Congregational, Roman Catholic,
  Methodist, Latter Day Saints, Seventh-Day Adventist)
Languages:
  Samoan (Polynesian), English
Literacy:
  age 15 and over can read and write (1971)
total population:
  97%
male:
  97%
female:
  97%
Labor force:
  38,000
by occupation:
  agriculture 22,000 (1987 est.)

@Western Samoa, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
  Independent State of Western Samoa
conventional short form:
  Western Samoa
Digraph:
  WS
Type:
  constitutional monarchy under native chief
Capital:
  Apia
Administrative divisions:
  11 districts; A'ana, Aiga-i-le-Tai, Atua, Fa'asaleleaga, Gaga'emauga,
  Gagaifomauga, Palauli, Satupa'itea, Tuamasaga, Va'a-o-Fonoti,
  Vaisigano
Independence:
  1 January 1962 (from UN trusteeship administered by New Zealand)
National holiday:
  National Day, 1 June (1962)
Constitution:
  1 January 1962
Legal system:
  based on English common law and local customs; judicial review of
  legislative acts with respect to fundamental rights of the citizen;
  has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
  21 years of age; universal, but only matai (head of family) are able
  to run for the Legislative Assembly
Executive branch:
chief of state:
  Chief Susuga Malietoa TANUMAFILI II (Co-Chief of State from 1 January
  1962 until becoming sole Chief of State on 5 April 1963)
head of government:
  Prime Minister TOFILAU Eti Alesana (since 7 April 1988)
cabinet:
  Cabinet; appointed by the head of state with the prime minister's
  advice
Legislative branch:
  unicameral
Legislative Assembly (Fono):
  elections last held 5 April 1991 (next to be held by NA 1996); results
  - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (47 total) HRPP 28, SNDP 18,
  independents 1
Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court, Court of Appeal
Political parties and leaders:
  Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP), TOFILAU Eti Alesana, chairman;
  Samoan National Development Party (SNDP), TAPUA Tamasese Efi, chairman
Member of:
  ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IMF,
  INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, LORCS, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UN,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
  Ambassador Neroni SLADE
chancery:
  820 Second Avenue, Suite 800, New York, NY 10017
telephone:
  [phone] or 6197
FAX:
  [phone]
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
  the ambassador to New Zealand is accredited to Western Samoa
embassy:
  5th floor, Beach Road, Apia
mailing address:
  P.O. Box 3430, Apia
telephone:
  (685) 21-631
FAX:
  (685) 22-030
Flag:
  red with a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side quadrant bearing
  five white five-pointed stars representing the Southern Cross
  constellation

@Western Samoa, Economy

Overview:
  Agriculture employs more than half of the labor force, contributes 50%
  to GDP, and furnishes 90% of exports. The bulk of export earnings
  comes from the sale of coconut oil and copra. The economy depends on
  emigrant remittances and foreign aid to support a level of imports
  much greater than export earnings. Tourism has become the most
  important growth industry, and construction of the first international
  hotel is under way. The economy continued to falter in 1993, as
  remittances and tourist earnings fell off. A fungal plant disease
  severely damaged the taro crop, the primary food and export crop.
National product:
  GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $400 million (1992 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  -4.3% (1992 est.)
National product per capita:
  $2,000 (1992 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  7% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate:
  NA%
Budget:
revenues:
  $95.3 million
expenditures:
  $95.4 million, including capital expenditures of $41 million (1992
  est.)
Exports:
  $5.7 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
commodities:
  coconut oil and cream, taro, copra, cocoa
partners:
  New Zealand 34%, American Samoa 21%, Germany 18%, Australia 11%
Imports:
  $11.5 million (c.i.f., 1992 est.)
commodities:
  intermediate goods 58%, food 17%, capital goods 12%
partners:
  New Zealand 37%, Australia 25%, Japan 11%, Fiji 9%
External debt:
  $83 million (December 1990 est.)
Industrial production:
  growth rate -0.3% (1992 est.); accounts for 16% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
  29,000 kW
production:
  45 million kWh
consumption per capita:
  240 kWh (1990)
Industries:
  timber, tourism, food processing, fishing
Agriculture:
  accounts for about 50% of GDP; coconuts, fruit (including bananas,
  taro, yams)
Economic aid:
recipient:
  US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $18 million; Western
  (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $306
  million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $4 million
Currency:
  1 tala (WS$) = 100 sene
Exchange rates:
  tala (WS$) per US$1 - 2.5920 (January 1994), 2.5681 (1993), 2.4655
  (1992), 2.3975 (1991), 2.3095 (1990), 2.2686 (1989)
Fiscal year:
  calendar year

@Western Samoa, Communications

Highways:
total:
  2,042 km
paved:
  375 km
unpaved:
  gravel, crushed stone, earth 1,667 km
Ports:
  Apia
Merchant marine:
  1 roll on/roll off cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,838
  GRT/5,536 DWT
Airports:
total:
  3
usable:
  3
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:
  7,500 telephones; 70,000 radios; broadcast stations - 1 AM, no FM, no
  TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT ground station

@Western Samoa, Defense Forces

Branches:
  Department of Police and Prisons
Defense expenditures:
  $NA, NA% of GDP


@World, Geography

Map references:
  Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
  510.072 million sq km
land area:
  148.94 million sq km
water area:
  361.132 million sq km
comparative area:
  land area about 16 times the size of the US
note:
  70.8% of the world is water, 29.2% is land
Land boundaries:
  the land boundaries in the world total 250,883.64 km (not counting
  shared boundaries twice)
Coastline:
  356,000 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
  24 nm claimed by most but can vary
continental shelf:
  200-m depth claimed by most or to depth of exploitation, others claim
  200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive fishing zone:
  200 nm claimed by most but can vary
exclusive economic zone:
  200 nm claimed by most but can vary
territorial sea:
  12 nm claimed by most but can vary
note:
  boundary situations with neighboring states prevent many countries
  from extending their fishing or economic zones to a full 200 nm; 42
  nations and other areas that are landlocked include Afghanistan,
  Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bhutan, Bolivia,
  Botswana, Burkina, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Czech
  Republic, Ethiopia, Holy See (Vatican City), Hungary, Kazakhstan,
  Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malawi, Mali,
  Moldova, Mongolia, Nepal, Niger, Paraguay, Rwanda, San Marino,
  Slovakia, Swaziland, Switzerland, Tajikistan, The Former Yugoslav
  Republic of Macedonia, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan, West Bank,
  Zambia, Zimbabwe
Climate:
  two large areas of polar climates separated by two rather narrow
  temperate zones from a wide equatorial band of tropical to subtropical
  climates
Terrain:
  highest elevation is Mt. Everest at 8,848 meters and lowest depression
  is the Dead Sea at 392 meters below sea level; greatest ocean depth is
  the Marianas Trench at 10,924 meters
Natural resources:
  the rapid using up of nonrenewable mineral resources, the depletion of
  forest areas and wetlands, the extinction of animal and plant species,
  and the deterioration in air and water quality (especially in Eastern
  Europe and the former USSR) pose serious long-term problems that
  governments and peoples are only beginning to address
Land use:
arable land:
  10%
permanent crops:
  1%
meadows and pastures:
  24%
forest and woodland:
  31%
other:
  34%
Irrigated land:
  NA sq km
Environment:
current issues:
  large areas subject to overpopulation, industrial disasters, pollution
  (air, water, acid rain, toxic substances), loss of vegetation
  (overgrazing, deforestation, desertification), loss of wildlife, soil
  degradation, soil depletion, erosion
natural hazards:
  large areas subject to severe weather (tropical cyclones), natural
  disasters (earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions)
international agreements:
  20 selected international environmental agreements included under the
  Environment entry for each country and in Appendix E: Selected
  International Environmental Agreements

@World, People

Population:
  5,643,289,771 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
  1.5% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
  25 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
  9 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  65 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
  62 years
male:
  61 years
female:
  64 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  3.1 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Literacy:
  age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.);
total population:
  82%
male:
  68%
female:
  75%
Labor force:
  2.24 billion (1992)
by occupation:
  NA

@World, Government

Digraph:
  XX
Administrative divisions:
  265 sovereign nations, dependent areas, other, and miscellaneous
  entries
Legal system:
  varies by individual country; 182 are parties to the United Nations
  International Court of Justice (ICJ or World Court)

@World, Economy

Overview:
  Real global output - gross world product (GWP) - rose roughly 2% in
  1993, with results varying widely among regions and countries. Average
  growth of 1% in the GDP of industrialized countries (57% of GWP in
  1993) and average growth of 6% in the GDP of less developed countries
  (37% of GWP) were partly offset by a further 10% drop in the GDP of
  the former USSR/Eastern Europe area (now only 6% of GWP). Within the
  industrialized world the US posted a 3% growth rate whereas both Japan
  and the 12-member European Union (formerly the European Community) had
  zero growth. With the notable exception of Japan at 2.5%, unemployment
  was typically 6-11% in the industrial world. The US accounted for 22%
  of GWP in 1993; Western Europe accounted for 22.5%; and Japan
  accounted for 9%. These are the three "economic superpowers" which are
  presumably destined to compete for mastery in international markets on
  into the 21st century. As for the less developed countries, China,
  India, and the Four Dragons--South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and
  Singapore--once again posted good records; however, many other
  countries, especially in Africa, continued to suffer from drought,
  rapid population growth, inflation, and civil strife. Central Europe,
  especially Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic, made considerable
  progress in moving toward "market-friendly" economies, whereas the 15
  ex-Soviet countries typically experienced further declines in output
  of 10-15%. Externally, the nation-state, as a bedrock
  economic-political institution, is steadily losing control over
  international flows of people, goods, funds, and technology.
  Internally, the central government in a number of cases is losing
  control over resources as separatist regional movements - typically
  based on ethnicity - gain momentum, e.g., in the successor states of
  the former Soviet Union, in former Yugoslavia, and in India. In
  Western Europe, governments face the difficult political problem of
  channeling resources away from welfare programs in order to increase
  investment and strengthen incentives to seek employment. The addition
  of nearly 100 million people each year to an already overcrowded globe
  is exacerbating the problems of pollution, desertification,
  underemployment, epidemics, and famine. Because of their own internal
  problems, the industrialized countries have inadequate resources to
  deal effectively with the poorer areas of the world, which, at least
  from the economic point of view, are becoming further marginalized.
  (For the specific economic problems of each country, see the
  individual country entries in this volume.)
National product:
  GWP (gross world product) - purchasing power equivalent - $29 trillion
  (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  2% (1993 est.)
National product per capita:
  $5,200 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
developed countries:
  5% (1993 est.)
developing countries:
  50% (1993 est.)
note:
  these figures vary widely in individual cases
Unemployment rate:
  developed countries typically 6%-11%; developing countries, extensive
  unemployment and underemployment (1993)
Exports:
  $3.64 trillion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
commodities:
  the whole range of industrial and agricultural goods and services
partners:
  in value, about 75% of exports from the developed countries
Imports:
  $3.82 trillion (c.i.f., 1992 est.)
commodities:
  the whole range of industrial and agricultural goods and services
partners:
  in value, about 75% of imports by the developed countries
External debt:
  $1 trillion for less developed countries (1993 est.)
Industrial production:
  growth rate -1% (1992 est.)
Electricity:
capacity:
  2,864,000,000 kW
production:
  11.45 trillion kWh
consumption per capita:
  2,150 kWh (1990)
Industries:
  industry worldwide is dominated by the onrush of technology,
  especially in computers, robotics, telecommunications, and medicines
  and medical equipment; most of these advances take place in OECD
  nations; only a small portion of non-OECD countries have succeeded in
  rapidly adjusting to these technological forces, and the technological
  gap between the industrial nations and the less-developed countries
  continues to widen; the rapid development of new industrial (and
  agricultural) technology is complicating already grim environmental
  problems
Agriculture:
  the production of major food crops has increased substantially in the
  last 20 years; the annual production of cereals, for instance, has
  risen by 50%, from about 1.2 billion metric tons to about 1.8 billion
  metric tons; production increases have resulted mainly from increased
  yields rather than increases in planted areas; while global production
  is sufficient for aggregate demand, about one-fifth of the world's
  population remains malnourished, primarily because local production
  cannot adequately provide for large and rapidly growing populations,
  which are too poor to pay for food imports; conditions are especially
  bad in Africa where drought in recent years has intensified the
  consequences of overpopulation
Economic aid:
  $NA

@World, Communications

Railroads:
  239,430 km of narrow gauge track; 710,754 km of standard gauge track;
  251,153 km of broad gauge track; includes about 190,000 to 195,000 km
  of electrified routes of which 147,760 km are in Europe, 24,509 km in
  the Far East, 11,050 km in Africa, 4,223 km in South America, and only
  4,160 km in North America; fastest speed in daily service is 300 km/hr
  attained by France's SNCF TGV-Atlantique line
Highways:
total:
  NA
paved:
  NA
unpaved:
  NA
Ports:
  Mina' al Ahmadi (Kuwait), Chiba, Houston, Kawasaki, Kobe, Marseille,
  New Orleans, New York, Rotterdam, Yokohama
Merchant marine:
  23,943 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 397,225,000 GRT/652,025,000
  DWT, bulk carrier 5,473, freighter 12,581, passenger-cargo 347, tanker
  5,542 (all data as of January 1992)

@World, Defense Forces

Branches:
  ground, maritime, and air forces at all levels of technology
Defense expenditures:
  somewhat less than $1.0 trillion, 3% of total world output; decline of
  5%-10% (1993 est.)


@Yemen, Geography

Location:
  Middle East, along the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, south of Saudi
  Arabia
Map references:
  Africa, Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
  527,970 sq km
land area:
  527,970 sq km
comparative area:
  slightly larger than twice the size of Wyoming
note:
  includes Perim, Socotra, the former Yemen Arab Republic (YAR or North
  Yemen), and the former People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY or
  South Yemen)
Land boundaries:
  total 1,746 km, Oman 288 km, Saudi Arabia 1,458 km
Coastline:
  1,906 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
  18 nm in the North; 24 nm in the South
continental shelf:
  200-m depth in the North; 200 nm in the South or to the edge of the
  continental margin
exclusive economic zone:
  200 nm
territorial sea:
  12 nm
International disputes:
  undefined section of boundary with Saudi Arabia; a treaty with Oman
  defining the Yemeni-Omani boundary was ratified in December 1992
Climate:
  mostly desert; hot and humid along west coast; temperate in western
  mountains affected by seasonal monsoon; extraordinarily hot, dry,
  harsh desert in east
Terrain:
  narrow coastal plain backed by flat-topped hills and rugged mountains;
  dissected upland desert plains in center slope into the desert
  interior of the Arabian Peninsula
Natural resources:
  petroleum, fish, rock salt, marble, small deposits of coal, gold,
  lead, nickel, and copper, fertile soil in west
Land use:
arable land:
  6%
permanent crops:
  0%
meadows and pastures:
  30%
forest and woodland:
  7%
other:
  57%
Irrigated land:
  3,100 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
  scarcity of natural freshwater resources (shortages of potable water);
  overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
natural hazards:
  subject to sandstorms and dust storms in summer
international agreements:
  party to - Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea; signed, but not
  ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change
Note:
  controls Bab el Mandeb, the strait linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of
  Aden, one of world's most active shipping lanes

@Yemen, People

Population:
  11,105,202 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
  3.34% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
  50.72 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
  14.94 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
  -2.44 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  112.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
  51.47 years
male:
  50.34 years
female:
  52.65 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  7.2 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
  Yemeni(s)
adjective:
  Yemeni
Ethnic divisions:
  predominantly Arab; Afro-Arab concentrations in coastal locations;
  South Asians in southern regions; small European communities in major
  metropolitan areas; 60,000 (est.) Somali refugees encamped near Aden
Religions:
  Muslim including Sha'fi (Sunni) and Zaydi (Shi'a), Jewish, Christian,
  Hindu
Languages:
  Arabic
Literacy:
  age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population:
  38%
male:
  53%
female:
  26%
Labor force:
  no reliable estimates exist, most people are employed in agriculture
  and herding or as expatriate laborers; services, construction,
  industry, and commerce account for less than half of the labor force

@Yemen, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
  Republic of Yemen
conventional short form:
  Yemen
local long form:
  Al Jumhuriyah al Yamaniyah
local short form:
  Al Yaman
Digraph:
  YM
Type:
  republic
Capital:
  Sanaa
Administrative divisions:
  17 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Abyan, Adan, Al
  Bayda, Al Hudaydah, Al Jawf, Al Mahrah, Al Mahwit, Dhamar, Hadramaut,
  Hajjah, Ibb, Lahij, Marib, Sadah, Sana, Shabwah, Taizz
note:
  there may be a new capital district of Sana
Independence:
  22 May 1990 Republic of Yemen was established on 22 May 1990 with the
  merger of the Yemen Arab Republic {Yemen (Sanaa) or North Yemen} and
  the Marxist-dominated People's Democratic Republic of Yemen {Yemen
  (Aden) or South Yemen}; previously North Yemen had become independent
  on NA November 1918 (from the Ottoman Empire) and South Yemen had
  become independent on 30 November 1967 (from the UK)
National holiday:
  Proclamation of the Republic, 22 May (1990)
Constitution:
  16 May 1991
Legal system:
  based on Islamic law, Turkish law, English common law, and local
  customary law; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government:
  President Ali Abdallah SALIH (since 22 May 1990, the former president
  of North Yemen); note - Sanaa dismissed Vice President Ali Salim
  al-BIDH,  Prime Minister Haydar Abu Bakr al-ATTAS (the former
  president of South Yemen), and 14 other southern officials following
  the outbreak of civil war on 4 May 1994
five-member Presidential Council:
  president, vice president, two members from General People's Congress
  party, two members from Yemeni Socialist Party, and one member from
  Yemeni Grouping for Reform, or Islaah party
cabinet:
  Council of Ministers
Legislative branch:
  unicameral
House of Representatives:
  elections last held 27 April 1993 (next to be held NA); results -
  percent of vote NA; seats - (301 total) GPC 124, YSP 55, Islaah 61,
  Ba'thist parties 7, Nasserist parties 4, Hizb al-Haqq 2, Independents
  47, election nullified 1
Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
  Ba'thist parties; General People's Congress (GPC), Ali Abdallah SALIH;
  Hizb al Haqq, Ibrahim al-WAZIR, Sheikh Ahmad ibn Ali SHAMI (Secretary
  General); Nasserist parties; Yemeni Socialist Party (YSP), Ali Salim
  al-BIDH; Yemeni Grouping for Reform or Islaah, Shaykh Abdallah bin
  Husayn al-AHMAR
Other political or pressure groups:
  NA
Member of:
  ACC, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB,
  IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM,
  OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
  Ambassador Muhsin Ahmad AL-AYNI
chancery:
  Suite 705, 2600 Virginia Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037
telephone:
  [phone] or 4761
FAX:
  [phone]
consulate general(s):
  Detroit
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
  Ambassador Arthur H. HUGHES
embassy:
  Dhahr Himyar Zone, Sheraton Hotel District, Sanaa
mailing address:
  P. O. Box 22347 Sanaa or Sanaa, Department of State, Washington, DC
  20521-6330
telephone:
  [967] (1) 238-842 through 238-852
FAX:
  [967] (1) 251-563
Flag:
  three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black; similar
  to the flag of Syria which has two green stars and of Iraq which has
  three green stars (plus an Arabic inscription) in a horizontal line
  centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Egypt which
  has a symbolic eagle centered in the white band

@Yemen, Economy

Overview:
  Whereas the northern city Sanaa is the political capital of a united
  Yemen, the southern city Aden, with its refinery and port facilities,
  is the economic and commercial capital. Future economic development
  depends heavily on Western-assisted development of its moderate oil
  resources. Former South Yemen's willingness to merge stemmed partly
  from the steady decline in Soviet economic support. The low level of
  domestic industry and agriculture have made northern Yemen dependent
  on imports for practically all of its essential needs. Large trade
  deficits have been compensated for by remittances from Yemenis working
  abroad and by foreign aid. Because of the Gulf crisis, remittances
  have dropped substantially. Once self-sufficient in food production,
  northern Yemen has become a major importer. Land once used for export
  crops - cotton, fruit, and vegetables - has been turned over to
  growing a shrub called qat, whose leaves are chewed for their
  stimulant effect by Yemenis and which has no  significant export
  market. Economic growth in former South Yemen has been constrained by
  a lack of incentives, partly stemming from centralized control over
  production decisions, investment allocation, and import choices.
  Nominal growth in 1994-95 is apt to be under 3% annually because of
  low oil prices and political deadlock that is causing a lack of
  economic cooperation and leadership.
National product:
  GDP - exchange rate conversion - $9 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  3.1% (1993 est.)
National product per capita:
  $800 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  55% (1993 est.)
Unemployment rate:
  30% (December 1992)
Budget:
revenues:
  $NA
expenditures:
  $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exports:
  $695 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities:
  crude oil, cotton, coffee, hides, vegetables, dried and salted fish
partners:
  Italy 55%, US 32%, Jordan 5% (1991)
Imports:
  $1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities:
  textiles and other manufactured consumer goods, petroleum products,
  sugar, grain, flour, other foodstuffs, cement, machinery, chemicals
partners:
  UAE 6%, Japan 6%, Saudi Arabia 6%, Kuwait 6%, US 6% (1991)
External debt:
  $7 billion (1993)
Industrial production:
  growth rate NA%, accounts for 18% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
  714,000 kW
production:
  1.224 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
  120 kWh (1992)
Industries:
  crude oil production and petroleum refining; small-scale production of
  cotton textiles and leather goods; food processing; handicrafts; small
  aluminum products factory; cement
Agriculture:
  accounted for 26% of GDP; products - grain, fruits, vegetables, qat
  (mildly narcotic shrub), coffee, cotton, dairy, poultry, meat, fish;
  not self-sufficient in grain
Economic aid:
recipient:
  US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $389 million; Western
  (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $2
  billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $3.2 billion; Communist
  countries (1970-89), $2.4 billion
Currency:
  Yemeni rial (new currency);  1 North Yemeni riyal (YR) = 100 fils; 1
  South Yemeni dinar (YD) = 1,000 fils
note:
  following the establishment of the Republic of Yemen on 22 May 1990,
  the North Yemeni riyal and the South Yemeni dinar are to be replaced
  with a new Yemeni rial
Exchange rates:
  Yemeni rials per US$1 - 12.0 (official); 70 (market rate, April 1994)
Fiscal year:
  calendar year

@Yemen, Communications

Highways:
total:
  15,500 km
paved:
  4,000 km
unpaved:
  natural surface 11,500 km
Pipelines:
  crude oil 644 km; petroleum products 32 km
Ports:
  Aden, Al Hudaydah, Al Khalf, Al Mukalla, Mocha, Nishtun, Ra's Kathib,
  Salif
Merchant marine:
  3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,309 GRT/6,568 DWT, cargo 2, oil
  tanker 1
Airports:
total:
  46
usable:
  40
with permanent-surface runways:
  10
with runways over 3,659 m:
  0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  18
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  11
Telecommunications:
  since unification in 1990, efforts are still being made to create a
  national domestic civil telecommunications network; the network
  consists of microwave radio relay, cable and troposcatter; 65,000
  telephones (est.); broadcast stations - 4 AM, 1 FM, 10 TV; satellite
  earth stations - 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1
  Intersputnik, 2 ARABSAT; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia, and
  Djibouti

@Yemen, Defense Forces

Branches:
  Army, Navy, Air Force, Police
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 2,142,519; fit for military service 1,219,985; reach
  military age (14) annually 137,497 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $762 million, 14% of GDP (1992)


@Zaire, Geography

Location:
  Central Africa, between Congo and Zambia
Map references:
  Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
  2,345,410 sq km
land area:
  2,267,600 sq km
comparative area:
  slightly more than one-quarter the size of US
Land boundaries:
  total 10,271 km, Angola 2,511 km, Burundi 233 km, Central African
  Republic 1,577 km, Congo 2,410 km, Rwanda 217 km, Sudan 628 km, Uganda
  765 km, Zambia 1,930 km
Coastline:
  37 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone:
  200 nm
territorial sea:
  12 nm
International disputes:
  Tanzania-Zaire-Zambia tripoint in Lake Tanganyika may no longer be
  indefinite since it is reported that the indefinite section of the
  Zaire-Zambia boundary has been settled; long section with Congo along
  the Congo River is indefinite (no division of the river or its islands
  has been made)
Climate:
  tropical; hot and humid in equatorial river basin; cooler and drier in
  southern highlands; cooler and wetter in eastern highlands; north of
  Equator - wet season April to October, dry season December to
  February; south of Equator - wet season November to March, dry season
  April to October
Terrain:
  vast central basin is a low-lying plateau; mountains in east
Natural resources:
  cobalt, copper, cadmium, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold,
  silver, zinc, manganese, tin, germanium, uranium, radium, bauxite,
  iron ore, coal, hydropower potential
Land use:
arable land:
  3%
permanent crops:
  0%
meadows and pastures:
  4%
forest and woodland:
  78%
other:
  15%
Irrigated land:
  100 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
  poaching threatens wildlife populations; water pollution;
  deforestation
natural hazards:
  periodic droughts in south
international agreements:
  party to - Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear
  Test Ban, Tropical Timber; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity,
  Climate Change, Environmental Modification
Note:
  straddles Equator; very narrow strip of land that controls the lower
  Congo River and is only outlet to South Atlantic Ocean; dense tropical
  rain forest in central river basin and eastern highlands

@Zaire, People

Population:
  42,684,091 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
  3.17% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
  48.39 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
  16.74 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
  0.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  110.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
  47.4 years
male:
  45.57 years
female:
  49.29 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  6.7 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
  Zairian(s)
adjective:
  Zairian
Ethnic divisions:
  over 200 African ethnic groups, the majority are Bantu; four largest
  tribes - Mongo, Luba, Kongo (all Bantu), and the Mangbetu-Azande
  (Hamitic) make up about 45% of the population
Religions:
  Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, Kimbanguist 10%, Muslim 10%, other
  syncretic sects and traditional beliefs 10%
Languages:
  French, Lingala, Swahili, Kingwana, Kikongo, Tshiluba
Literacy:
  age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population:
  72%
male:
  84%
female:
  61%
Labor force:
  15 million (13% of the labor force is wage earners; 51% of the
  population is of working age)
by occupation:
  agriculture 75%, industry 13%, services 12% (1985)

@Zaire, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
  Republic of Zaire
conventional short form:
  Zaire
local long form:
  Republique du Zaire
local short form:
  Zaire
former:
  Belgian Congo Congo/Leopoldville  Congo/Kinshasa
Digraph:
  CG
Type:
  republic with a strong presidential system
Capital:
  Kinshasa
Administrative divisions:
  10 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 town* (ville); Bandundu,
  Bas-Zaire, Equateur, Haut-Zaire, Kasai-Occidental, Kasai-Oriental,
  Kinshasa*, Maniema, Nord-Kivu, Shaba, Sud-Kivu
Independence:
  30 June 1960 (from Belgium)
National holiday:
  Anniversary of the Regime (Second Republic), 24 November (1965)
Constitution:
  24 June 1967, amended August 1974, revised 15 February 1978; amended
  April 1990; new transitional constitution promulgated in April 1994
Legal system:
  based on Belgian civil law system and tribal law; has not accepted
  compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state:
  President Marshal MOBUTU Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga (since 24
  November 1965) election last held 29 July 1984 (next to be scheduled
  by High Council, the opposition-controlled transition legislature);
  results - President MOBUTU was reelected without opposition
head of government:
  Prime Minister Etienne TSHISEKEDI (since NA 1993); note - de facto
  executive authority is exercised by President MOBUTU
cabinet:
  National Executive Council; appointed by the president on
  recommendation of the prime minister
Legislative branch:
  unicameral
parliament:
  a single body consisting of the High Council of the Republic and the
  Parliament of the Transition with membership equally divided between
  presidential supporters and opponents
Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Political parties and leaders:
  sole legal party until January 1991 - Popular Movement of the
  Revolution (MPR); other parties include Union for Democracy and Social
  Progress (UDPS), Etienne TSHISEKEDI wa Mulumba; Democratic Social
  Christian Party (PDSC), Joseph ILEO; Union of Federalists and
  Independent Republicans (UFERI), NGUZ a Karl-I-Bond; Unified Lumumbast
  Party (PALU), Antoine GIZENGA
Member of:
  ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEEAC, CEPGL, ECA, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, GATT,
  IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
  INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
  UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
  Ambassador TATANENE Manata
chancery:
  1800 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone:
  [phone] or 7691
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
  (vacant); Deputy Chief of Mission John YATES
embassy:
  310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa
mailing address:
  Unit 31550, Kinshasha; APO AE 09828
telephone:
  [243] (12) 21532, 21628
FAX:
  [243] (12) 21232 or 21534/5, ext. 2308
consulate(s) general:
  Lubumbashi (closed and evacuated in October 1991 because of the poor
  security situation)
Flag:
  light green with a yellow disk in the center bearing a black arm
  holding a red flaming torch; the flames of the torch are blowing away
  from the hoist side; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

@Zaire, Economy

Overview:
  Zaire's economy has continued to disintegrate. While meaningful
  economic figures are difficult to come by, Zaire's hyperinflation, the
  largest government deficit ever, and plunging mineral production have
  made the country one of the world's poorest. Most formal transactions
  are conducted in hard currency as indigenous banknotes have lost
  almost all value, and a barter economy now flourishes in all but the
  largest cities. Most individuals and families hang on grimly through
  subsistence farming and petty trade. The government has not been able
  to meet its financial obligations to the International Momentary Fund
  or put in place the financial measures advocated by the IMF. Although
  short-term prospects for improvement are dim, improved political
  stability would boost Zaire's long-term potential to effectively
  exploit its vast wealth of mineral and agricultural resources.
National product:
  GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $21 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  -6% (1992 est.)
National product per capita:
  $500 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  35%-40% per month (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate:
  NA%
Budget:
revenues:
  $NA
expenditures:
  $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exports:
  $1.5 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
commodities:
  copper, coffee, diamonds, cobalt, crude oil
partners:
  US, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, UK, Japan, South Africa
Imports:
  $1.2 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
commodities:
  consumer goods, foodstuffs, mining and other machinery, transport
  equipment, fuels
partners:
  South Africa, US, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK
External debt:
  $9.2 billion (May 1992 est.)
Industrial production:
  growth rate NA%
Electricity:
capacity:
  2,580,000 kW
production:
  6 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
  160 kWh (1991)
Industries:
  mining, mineral processing, consumer products (including textiles,
  footwear, and cigarettes), processed foods and beverages, cement,
  diamonds
Agriculture:
  cash crops - coffee, palm oil, rubber, quinine; food crops - cassava,
  bananas, root crops, corn
Illicit drugs:
  illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for domestic consumption
Economic aid:
recipient:
  US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.1 billion; Western
  (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $6.9
  billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $35 million; Communist
  countries (1970-89), $263 million
note:
  except for humanitarian aid to private organizations, no US assistance
  was given to Zaire in 1992
Currency:
  1 zaire (Z) = 100 makuta
Exchange rates:
  zaire (Z) per US$1 - 7,915,000 (September 1993), 1,990,000 (1992),
  15,587 (1991), 719 (1990), 381 (1989)
Fiscal year:
  calendar year

@Zaire, Communications

Railroads:
  5,254 km total; 3,968 km 1.067-meter gauge (851 km electrified); 125
  km 1.000-meter gauge; 136 km 0.615-meter gauge; 1,025 km 0.600-meter
  gauge; limited trackage in use because of civil strife
Highways:
total:
  146,500 km
paved:
  2,800 km
unpaved:
  gravel, improved earth 46,200 km; unimproved earth 97,500 km
Inland waterways:
  15,000 km including the Congo, its tributaries, and unconnected lakes
Pipelines:
  petroleum products 390 km
Ports:
  Matadi, Boma, Banana
Merchant marine:
  1 passenger cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 15,489 GRT/13,481
  DWT
Airports:
total:
  278
usable:
  233
with permanent-surface runways:
  25
with runways over 3,659 m:
  1
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  6
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  72
Telecommunications:
  barely adequate wire and microwave service; broadcast stations - 10
  AM, 4 FM, 18 TV; satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT,
  14 domestic

@Zaire, Defense Forces

Branches:
  Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary National Gendarmerie, Civil Guard,
  Special Presidential Division
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 9,178,659; fit for military service 4,674,819
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $49 million, 0.8% of GDP (1988)


@Zambia, Geography

Location:
  Southern Africa, between Zaire and Zimbabwe
Map references:
  Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
  752,610 sq km
land area:
  740,720 sq km
comparative area:
  slightly larger than Texas
Land boundaries:
  total 5,664 km, Angola 1,110 km, Malawi 837 km, Mozambique 419 km,
  Namibia 233 km, Tanzania 338 km, Zaire 1,930 km, Zimbabwe 797 km
Coastline:
  0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
  none; landlocked
International disputes:
  quadripoint with Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe is in disagreement;
  Tanzania-Zaire-Zambia tripoint in Lake Tanganyika may no longer be
  indefinite since it is reported that the indefinite section of the
  Zaire-Zambia boundary has been settled
Climate:
  tropical; modified by altitude; rainy season (October to April)
Terrain:
  mostly high plateau with some hills and mountains
Natural resources:
  copper, cobalt, zinc, lead, coal, emeralds, gold, silver, uranium,
  hydropower potential
Land use:
arable land:
  7%
permanent crops:
  0%
meadows and pastures:
  47%
forest and woodland:
  27%
other:
  19%
Irrigated land:
  320 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
  poaching seriously threatens rhinoceros and elephant populations;
  deforestation; soil erosion; desertification
natural hazards:
  NA
international agreements:
  party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of
  the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
Note:
  landlocked

@Zambia, People

Population:
  9,188,190 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
  2.83% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
  45.99 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
  17.65 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
  -0.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  85 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
  44.18 years
male:
  43.82 years
female:
  44.54 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  6.68 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
  Zambian(s)
adjective:
  Zambian
Ethnic divisions:
  African 98.7%, European 1.1%, other 0.2%
Religions:
  Christian 50-75%, Muslim and Hindu 24-49%, indigenous beliefs 1%
Languages:
  English (official)
note:
  about 70 indigenous languages
Literacy:
  age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population:
  73%
male:
  81%
female:
  65%
Labor force:
  2.455 million
by occupation:
  agriculture 85%, mining, manufacturing, and construction 6%, transport
  and services 9%

@Zambia, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
  Republic of Zambia
conventional short form:
  Zambia
former:
  Northern Rhodesia
Digraph:
  ZA
Type:
  republic
Capital:
  Lusaka
Administrative divisions:
  9 provinces; Central, Copperbelt, Eastern, Luapula, Lusaka, Northern,
  North-Western, Southern, Western
Independence:
  24 October 1964 (from UK)
National holiday:
  Independence Day, 24 October (1964)
Constitution:
  2 August 1991
Legal system:
  based on English common law and customary law; judicial review of
  legislative acts in an ad hoc constitutional council; has not accepted
  compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government:
  President Frederick CHILUBA (since 31 October 1991); Vice President
  Levy MWANAWASA (since 31 October 1991); election last held 31 October
  1991 (next to be held in 1996); results - Frederick CHILUBA 84%,
  Kenneth KAUNDA 16%
cabinet:
  Cabinet; appointed by the president from members of the National
  Assembly
Legislative branch:
  unicameral
National Assembly:
  elections last held 31 October 1991 (next to be held in 1996); results
  - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (150 total) MMD 125, UNIP 25;
  note - the MMD's majority was weakened by the defection of 13 of its
  parliamentary members during 1993 and the defeat of its candidates in
  4 of the resulting by-elections
Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
  Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD), Frederick CHILUBA; United
  National Independence Party (UNIP), Kebby MUSOKATWANE; National Party
  (NP), Inonge MBIKUSITA-LEWANIKA;
Member of:
  ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, FLS, G-19, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
  IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFTU, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU,
  LORCS, NAM, OAU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMOZ, UNOSOM, UPU,
  WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
  Ambassador Dunstan Weston KAMANA
chancery:
  2419 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
  [phone] through 9721
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
  Ambassador Roland KUCHEL
embassy:
  corner of Independence Avenue and United Nations Avenue, Lusaka
mailing address:
  P. O. Box 31617, Lusaka
telephone:
  [260-1] 228-595, 228-601, 228-602, 228-603
FAX:
  [260-1] 261-538
Flag:
  green with a panel of three vertical bands of red (hoist side), black,
  and orange below a soaring orange eagle, on the outer edge of the flag

@Zambia, Economy

Overview:
  The economy has been in decline for more than a decade with falling
  imports and growing foreign debt. Economic difficulties stem from a
  chronically depressed level of copper production and ineffective
  economic policies. In 1991 real GDP fell by 2% and in 1992 by 3% more.
  An annual population growth of 3% has brought a decline in per capita
  GDP of 50% over the past decade. A high inflation rate has also added
  to Zambia's economic woes in recent years.
National product:
  GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $7.3 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  -2.8% (1992)
National product per capita:
  $800 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  191% (1992)
Unemployment rate:
  NA%
Budget:
revenues:
  $665 million
expenditures:
  $767 million, including capital expenditures of $300 million (1991
  est.)
Exports:
  $1 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
commodities:
  copper, zinc, cobalt, lead, tobacco
partners:
  EC countries, Japan, South Africa, US, India
Imports:
  $1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1992 est.)
commodities:
  machinery, transportation equipment, foodstuffs, fuels, manufactures
partners:
  EC countries, Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, US
External debt:
  $7.6 billion (1991)
Industrial production:
  growth rate -2% (1991); accounts for 40% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
  2,775,000 kW
production:
  12 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
  1,400 kWh (1991)
Industries:
  copper mining and processing, construction, foodstuffs, beverages,
  chemicals, textiles, and fertilizer
Agriculture:
  accounts for 12% of GDP and 85% of labor force; crops - corn (food
  staple), sorghum, rice, peanuts, sunflower, tobacco, cotton,
  sugarcane, cassava; cattle, goats, beef, eggs
Illicit drugs:
  role as regional transshipment center for mandrax and heroin
Economic aid:
recipient:
  US commitments, including Ex-Im (1970-89), $4.8 billion; Western
  (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $4.8
  billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $60 million; Communist
  countries (1970-89), $533 million
Currency:
  1 Zambian kwacha (ZK) = 100 ngwee
Exchange rates:
  Zambian kwacha (ZK) per US$1 - 344.8276 (October 1993), 156.25 (1992),
  61.7284 (1991), 28.9855 (1990), 12.9032 (1989)
Fiscal year:
  calendar year

@Zambia, Communications

Railroads:
  1,266 km, all 1.067-meter gauge; 13 km double track
Highways:
total:
  36,370 km
paved:
  6,500 km
unpaved:
  crushed stone, gravel, stabilized earth 7,000 km; improved, unimproved
  earth 22,870 km
Inland waterways:
  2,250 km, including Zambezi and Luapula Rivers, Lake Tanganyika
Pipelines:
  crude oil 1,724 km
Ports:
  Mpulungu (lake port)
Airports:
total:
  113
usable:
  103
with permanent-surface runways:
  13
with runways over 3,659 m:
  1
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  4
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  22
Telecommunications:
  facilities are among the best in Sub-Saharan Africa; high-capacity
  microwave connects most larger towns and cities; broadcast stations -
  11 AM, 5 FM, 9 TV; satellite earth stations - 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT
  and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT

@Zambia, Defense Forces

Branches:
  Army, Air Force, Police
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 1,882,053; fit for military service 988,913
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $45 million, 1% of GDP (1992 est.)


@Zimbabwe, Geography

Location:
  Southern Africa, between South Africa and Zambia
Map references:
  Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
  390,580 sq km
land area:
  386,670 sq km
comparative area:
  slightly larger than Montana
Land boundaries:
  total 3,066 km, Botswana 813 km, Mozambique 1,231 km, South Africa 225
  km, Zambia 797 km
Coastline:
  0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
  none; landlocked
International disputes:
  quadripoint with Botswana, Namibia, and Zambia is in disagreement
Climate:
  tropical; moderated by altitude; rainy season (November to March)
Terrain:
  mostly high plateau with higher central plateau (high veld); mountains
  in east
Natural resources:
  coal, chromium ore, asbestos, gold, nickel, copper, iron ore,
  vanadium, lithium, tin, platinum group metals
Land use:
arable land:
  7%
permanent crops:
  NA% (coffee is a permanent crop)
meadows and pastures:
  12%
forest and woodland:
  62%
other:
  NA%
Irrigated land:
  2,200 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
  deforestation; soil erosion; land degradation; air and water pollution
natural hazards:
  recurring droughts; floods and severe storms are rare
international agreements:
  party to - Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea; signed,
  but not ratified - Biodiversity
Note:
  landlocked

@Zimbabwe, People

Population:
  10,975,078 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
  1.2% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
  37.24 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
  18.1 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
  -7.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  7.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
tatal population:
  42.06 years
male:
  40.44 years
female:
  43.74 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  5.1 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
  Zimbabwean(s)
adjective:
  Zimbabwean
Ethnic divisions:
  African 98% (Shona 71%, Ndebele 16%, other 11%), white 1%, mixed and
  Asian 1%
Religions:
  syncretic (part Christian, part indigenous beliefs) 50%, Christian
  25%, indigenous beliefs 24%, Muslim and other 1%
Languages:
  English (official), Shona, Sindebele
Literacy:
  age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.);
total population:
  67%
male:
  74%
female:
  60%
Labor force:
  3.1 million
by occupation:
  agriculture 74%, transport and services 16%, mining, manufacturing,
  construction 10% (1987)

@Zimbabwe, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
  Republic of Zimbabwe
conventional short form:
  Zimbabwe
former:
  Southern Rhodesia
Digraph:
  ZI
Type:
  parliamentary democracy
Capital:
  Harare
Administrative divisions:
  8 provinces; Manicaland, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East,
  Mashonaland West, Masvingo (Victoria), Matabeleland North,
  Matabeleland South, Midlands
Independence:
  18 April 1980 (from UK)
National holiday:
  Independence Day, 18 April (1980)
Constitution:
  21 December 1979
Legal system:
  mixture of Roman-Dutch and English common law
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government:
  Executive President Robert Gabriel MUGABE (since 31 December 1987);
  Co-Vice President Simon Vengai MUZENDA (since 31 December 1987);
  Co-Vice President Joshua M. NKOMO (since 6 August 1990); election last
  held 28-30 March 1990 (next to be held NA March 1996); results -
  Robert MUGABE 78.3%, Edgar TEKERE 21.7%
cabinet:
  Cabinet; appointed by the president; responsible to Parliament
Legislative branch:
  unicameral
Parliament:
  elections last held 28-30 March 1990 (next to be held NA March 1995);
  results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (150 total, 120
  elected) ZANU-PF 117, ZUM 2, ZANU-S 1
Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
  Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), Robert
  MUGABE; Zimbabwe African National Union-Sithole (ZANU-S), Ndabaningi
  SITHOLE; Zimbabwe Unity Movement (ZUM), Edgar TEKERE and Abel
  MUYOREWA; Democratic Party (DP), Emmanuel MAGOCHE; Forum Party, Enock
  DUMBUTSHENA
Member of:
  ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, FLS, G-15, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
  ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM
  (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, PCA, SADC, UN, UNAVEM II,
  UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMUR, UNOSOM, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
  Ambassador Amos Bernard Muvengwa MIDZI
chancery:
  1608 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone:
  [phone]
FAX:
  [phone]
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
  Ambassador Edward Gibson LANPHER
embassy:
  172 Herbert Chitepo Avenue, Harare
mailing address:
  P. O. Box 3340, Harare
telephone:
  [263] (4) 794-521
FAX:
  [263] (4) 796-488
Flag:
  seven equal horizontal bands of green, yellow, red, black, red,
  yellow, and green with a white equilateral triangle edged in black
  based on the hoist side; a yellow Zimbabwe bird is superimposed on a
  red five-pointed star in the center of the triangle

@Zimbabwe, Economy

Overview:
  Agriculture employs three-fourths of the labor force and supplies
  almost 40% of exports. The manufacturing sector, based on agriculture
  and mining, produces a variety of goods and contributes 35% to GDP.
  Mining accounts for only 5% of both GDP and employment, but supplies
  of minerals and metals account for about 40% of exports. Wide
  fluctuations in agricultural production over the past six years have
  resulted in an uneven growth rate, one that on average has matched the
  3% annual increase in population. Helped by an IMF/World Bank
  structural adjustment program, output rose 3.5% in 1991. A severe
  drought in 1991/92 caused the economy to contract by about 10% in
  1992.
National product:
  GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $15.9 billion (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  2% (1993 est.)
National product per capita:
  $1,400 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  22% (January 1994 est.)
Unemployment rate:
  at least 35% (1993 est.)
Budget:
revenues:
  $1.7 billion
expenditures:
  $2.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $253 million (FY93)
Exports:
  $1.5 billion (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
commodities:
  agricultural 35% (tobacco 30%, other 10%), manufactures 25%, gold 12%,
  ferrochrome 10%, textiles 8% (1992)
partners:
  UK 14%, Germany 11%, South Africa 10%, Japan 7%, US 5% (1991)
Imports:
  $1.8 billion (c.i.f., 1992 est.)
commodities:
  machinery and transportation equipment 41%, other manufactures 23%,
  chemicals 16%, fuels 12% (1991)
partners:
  South Africa 25%, UK 15%, Germany 9%, US 6%, Japan 5% (1991)
External debt:
  $3.5 billion (December 1992 est.)
Industrial production:
  growth rate 2.3% (1992); accounts for 35% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
  3,650,000 kW
production:
  8.18 billion kWh (1992)
consumption per capita:
  740 kWh (1992)
Industries:
  mining, steel, clothing and footwear, chemicals, foodstuffs,
  fertilizer, beverage, transportation equipment, wood products
Agriculture:
  accounts for 20% of GDP and employs 74% of population; 40% of land
  area divided into 4,500 large commercial farms and 42% in communal
  lands; crops - corn (food staple), cotton, tobacco, wheat, coffee,
  sugarcane, peanuts; livestock - cattle, sheep, goats, pigs;
  self-sufficient in food
Economic aid:
  NA
Currency:
  1 Zimbabwean dollar (Z$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
  Zimbabwean dollars (Z$) per US$1 - 8.1037 (January 1994), 6.4725
  (1993), 5.1046 (1992), 3.4282 (1991), 2.4480 (1990), 2.1133 (1989)
Fiscal year:
  1 July - 30 June

@Zimbabwe, Communications

Railroads:
  2,745 km 1.067-meter gauge (including 42 km double track, 355 km
  electrified)
Highways:
total:
  85,237 km
paved:
  15,800 km
unpaved:
  crushed stone, gravel, stabilized earth 39,090 km; improved earth
  23,097 km; unimproved earth 7,250 km
Inland waterways:
  Lake Kariba is a potential line of communication
Pipelines:
  petroleum products 212 km
Airports:
total:
  477
usable:
  401
with permanent-surface runways:
  22
with runways over 3,659 m:
  2
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  3
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  28
Telecommunications:
  system was once one of the best in Africa, but now suffers from poor
  maintenance; consists of microwave links, open-wire lines, and radio
  communications stations; 247,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 8
  AM, 18 FM, 8 TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

@Zimbabwe, Defense Forces

Branches:
  Zimbabwe National Army, Air Force of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Republic
  Police (including Police Support Unit, Paramilitary Police)
Manpower availability:
  males 15-49 2,371,186; fit for military service 1,472,603 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $412.4 million, about 6% of GDP (FY91 est.)