The 2009 CIA World Factbook
by United States. Central Intelligence Agency · English · Gutenberg #35829 · 12,458,507 chars · public domain (US)
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Title: The 2009 CIA World Factbook
Author: United States. Central Intelligence Agency
Release date: April 11, 2011 [eBook #35829]
Most recently updated: October 3, 2025
Language: English
Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/35829
Credits: Produced by Al Haines
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE 2009 CIA WORLD FACTBOOK ***
THE CIA WORLD FACTBOOK 2009
CONTENTS
What's New?
Did You Know?
Guide to Country Profiles
Countries and Locations
Field Listings
Rank Orders
Appendixes
Notes and Definitions
History of the CIA Factbook
Contributors and Copyright Information
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
THE WORLD FACTBOOK :: WHAT'S NEW
November 13, 2009
Recent elections and governmental changes recorded for
Afghanistan, Aruba, Fiji, Germany, Haiti, Marshall Islands,
Mongolia, Tunisia, and Uruguay. In the Economy category, some
20 macro-economic fields have been updated with the latest
data. New NASA space photos added for the Atlantic, Indian,
and Pacific Oceans, as well as for Montserrat and the World;
new ground photos added for Cambodia and France.
October 30, 2009
In the Economy category, all the energy-related fields have
been updated with the latest data; new photos added for
Norway and Poland.
October 14, 2009
In addition to regular informational updates, new photos have
been added for Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Russia, and Sweden.
October 02, 2009
In the Transportation category, updates have been made to the
"Airports" and "Heliports" fields; new photos added for
Libya, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.
September 17, 2009
NASA images taken from space have been introduced to enhance
various country photo presentations. Significant numbers of
high altitude photos appear under China, Egypt, Spain,
Australia, and New Zealand, but can also be found scattered
among other country entries. In the Economy category,
statistics for "Distribution of family income - Gini index,"
"Public debt," and "Debt - external" now include two year's
worth of data.
September 03, 2009
In the Economy category, statistics for "Current Account
Balance," "Exports," "Imports," "Reserves of foreign exchange
and gold," "Stock of direct foreign investment - at home,"
and "Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad" now include
two year's worth of data; statistics for "Market value of
publicly traded shares" now include three year's worth of
data. New photos added for Austria, France, Monaco,
Netherlands, and Netherlands Antilles.
August 17, 2009
Various rail gauge line lengths have been updated for all
countries in the Railways entry; selected economic and
political entries also updated.
July 31, 2009
In the Economy category, statistics for "Central bank
discount rate," "Commercial bank prime lending rate," "Stock
of money," "Stock of quasi money," and "Stock of domestic
credit" now include two year's worth of data.
July 20, 2009
Latest updates include changes to the chief of state or head
of government in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Lithuania,
and Panama. New photographs have been added for Spain,
Portugal, Gibraltar, and South Africa.
July 01, 2009
With the launch of the new Web site, the former "Rank Order"
function was renamed "Country Comparisons." The link to
Country Comparisons may be found under the References tab. In
addition, many of the regional reference maps now incorporate
both elevation and vegetation on landmasses, and bathymetry
for ocean areas. Statistics for "Unemployment rate" and
"Inflation rate (consumer prices)" now include two year's
worth of data.
June 08, 2009
Completely redesigned website - presenting a cleaner look,
improved navigation, and a host of added features - launched
on the World Wide Web. Among the major enhancements are
downloadable and printable photos for nearly 100 countries, a
"Did You Know?" section explaining the impact of the Factbook
around the world, and built-in world rankings for many of the
Factbook information fields. Government sections reflect the
results of recent parliamentary elections in Kuwait - where
women were elected for the first time - and India, as well as
presidential elections in Lithuania, Mongolia, Panama, and
South Africa.
April 27, 2009
Significant updates made to the People and Economy
categories; statistics for "GDP - real growth rate" and "GDP
- per capita" (at purchasing power parity) now include three
year's worth of data, in 2008 dollars. The Urbanization entry
under People expanded to include all countries.
April 03, 2009
In addition to regular country updates, statistics for "GDP
(purchasing power parity)" now include three year's worth of
data, in 2008 dollars.
March 20, 2009
Recent major leadership changes in Guinea-Bissau, Latvia, and
Madagascar included in the Government sections of those
countries.
March 02, 2009
Latest US Census Bureau figures - updating basic demographic
data for all countries - entered into the database. Entries
on religions, languages, ethnic groups, and literacy also
updated.
February 06, 2009
Country information updated across all categories. Economic
data now includes 2008 estimates where available.
November 05, 2008
In order to provide more information on the nature and global
dimensions of the current financial crisis, five additional
fields appended to the Economy category: "Central bank
discount rate," "Commercial bank prime lending rate," "Stock
of money," "Stock of quasi money," and "Stock of domestic
credit."
August 06, 2008
In the People category, two new fields provide information on
education in terms of opportunity and resources: "School Life
Expectancy" and "Education expenditures."
November 06, 2007
In the Geography category, two new fields focus on the vital
resource of water: "Total renewable water resources" and
"Freshwater withdrawal."
October 31, 2007
Three new fields added to the Economy category: "Stock of
direct foreign investment - abroad," "Stock of direct foreign
investment - at home," "Market value of publicly traded
shares."
Ongoing
Revision of some individual country maps, first introduced in
the 2001 edition, continues. Several regional maps have been
updated to reflect boundary changes and place name spelling
changes.
======================================================================
About :: DID YOU KNOW?
The World Factbook is one of the US Government's most accessed
publications.
The World Factbook, produced for US policymakers and coordinated
throughout the US Intelligence Community, presents the basic realities
about the world in which we live. We share these facts with the people
of all nations in the belief that knowledge of the truth underpins the
functioning of free societies.
Who uses The World Factbook?
A wide variety of folks including US Government officials, researchers,
news organizations, corporations, geographers, teachers, professors,
librarians, and students. In short, anyone looking for an expansive
body of international data on a recently updated Web site.
The World Factbook is a one-stop reference site.
Although many of the facts presented in The Factbook may be found in
various other publications, they are conveniently gathered together
in one place only at The World Factbook Web site.
The World Factbook is a unique reference in that it is updated
continuously - on average, every two weeks.
Information in The Factbook is collected from - and coordinated with -
a wide variety of US Government agencies, as well as from hundreds of
published sources.
======================================================================
References :: Guide to Country Profiles
These are the Categories, Fields, and subfields of information
generally recorded for each country. Links are to the Definitions
and Notes about each entry.
Introduction ::
Background:
Geography ::
Location:
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Area:
total
land
water
Area - comparative:
Land boundaries:
total
border countries
Coastline:
Maritime claims:
territorial sea
contiguous zone
exclusive economic zone
continental shelf
exclusive fishing zone
Climate:
Terrain:
Elevation extremes:
lowest point
highest point
Natural resources:
Land use:
arable land
permanent crops
other
Irrigated land:
Total Renewable Water Resources:
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total
per capita
Natural hazards:
Environment - current issues:
Environment - international agreements:
party to
signed, but not ratified
Geography - note:
People ::
Population:
Age structure:
0-14 years
15-64 years
65 years and over
Median Age:
total
male
female
Population growth rate:
Birth rate:
Death rate:
Net migration rate:
Sex ratio:
at birth
under 15 years
15-64 years
65 years and over
total population
Infant mortality rate:
total
male
female
Life expectancy at birth:
total population
male
female
Total fertility rate:
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk
food or waterborne diseases
vectorborne diseases
water contact diseases
aerosolized dust or soil contact disease
respiratory disease
animal contact disease
Nationality:
noun
adjective
Ethnic groups:
Religions:
Languages:
Literacy:
definition
total population
male
female
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary):
Education expenditures:
People - note:
Government ::
Country name:
conventional long form
conventional short form
local long form
local short form
former
abbreviation
Dependency status:
Government type:
Capital:
name
geographic coordinates
time difference
daylight saving time
Administrative divisions:
Dependent areas:
Independence:
National holiday:
Constitution:
Legal system:
Suffrage:
Executive branch:
chief of state
head of government
cabinet
elections
election results
Legislative branch:
elections
election results
Judicial branch:
Political parties and leaders:
Political pressure groups and leaders:
International organization participation:
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission
chancery
telephone
FAX
consulate(s) general
consulate(s)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission
embassy
mailing address
telephone
FAX
consulate(s) general
consulate(s)
branch office(s)
Flag description:
Government - note:
Economy ::
Economy - overview:
GDP (purchasing power parity) :
GDP (official exchange rate) :
GDP - real growth rate:
GDP - per capita (PPP):
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture
industry
services
Labor force:
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture
industry
services
Unemployment rate:
Population below poverty line:
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%
highest 10%
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
Investment (gross fixed):
Budget:
revenues
expenditures
Public debt :
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Central bank discount rate:
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Stock of money:
Stock of quasi money:
Stock of domestic credit:
Market value of publicly traded shares:
Agriculture - products:
Industries:
Industrial production growth rate:
Electricity - production:
Electricity - consumption:
Electricity - exports:
Electricity - imports:
Oil - production:
Oil - consumption:
Oil - exports:
Oil - imports:
Oil - proved reserves:
Natural gas - production:
Natural gas - consumption:
Natural gas - exports:
Natural gas - imports:
Natural gas - proved reserves:
Current account balance:
Exports:
Exports - commodities:
Exports - partners:
Imports:
Imports - commodities:
Imports - partners:
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Debt - external:
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
Exchange rates:
Communications ::
Telephones - main lines in use:
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Telephone system:
general assessment
domestic
international
Radio broadcast stations:
Television broadcast stations:
Internet country code:
Internet hosts :
Internet users:
Communications - note:
Transportation ::
Airports:
Airports - with paved runways:
total
over 3,047 m
2,438 to 3,047 m
1,524 to 2,437 m
914 to 1,530 m
under 914 m
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total
over 3,047 m
2,438 to 3,047 m
1,524 to 2,437 m
914 to 1,530 m
under 914 m
Heliports:
Pipelines:
Railways:
total
broad gauge
standard gauge
narrow gauge
dual gauge
Roadways:
total
paved
unpaved
Waterways:
Merchant marine:
total
ships by type
foreign-owned
registered in other countries
Ports and terminals :
Transportation - note:
Military ::
Military branches:
Military service age and obligation :
Manpower available for military service :
males age 16-49
females age 16-49
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49
females age 16-49
Manpower reaching military age annually:
males
females
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
Military - note:
Transnational Issues ::
Disputes - international:
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees
IDPs
Trafficking in persons:
current situation
tier rating
Illicit drugs:
======================================================================
The World Factbook (2009) - Country Listing
[Transcriber's note: To search on a country in this file, prefix the
country's name with "@", e.g. "@Afghanistan". "Afghanistan" will find
all occurrences; prefixing it with "@" will find the correct location.]
World
A
Afghanistan
Akrotiri
Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Andorra
Angola
Anguilla
Antarctica
Antigua and Barbuda
Arctic Ocean
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Atlantic Ocean
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
B
Bahamas, The
Bahrain
Baker Island
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Bouvet Island
Brazil
British Indian Ocean Territory
British Virgin Islands
Brunei
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burma
Burundi
C
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
China
Christmas Island
Clipperton Island
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Colombia
Comoros
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Congo, Republic of the
Cook Islands
Coral Sea Islands
Costa Rica
Cote d'Ivoire
Croatia
Cuba
Cyprus
Czech Republic
D
Denmark
Dhekelia
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
E
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Ethiopia
F
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
Faroe Islands
Fiji
Finland
France
French Polynesia
French Southern and Antarctic Lands
G
Gabon
Gambia, The
Gaza Strip
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Gibraltar
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Guam
Guatemala
Guernsey
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
H
Haiti
Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Holy See (Vatican City)
Honduras
Hong Kong
Howland Island
Hungary
I
Iceland
India
Indian Ocean
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Isle of Man
Israel
Italy
J
Jamaica
Jan Mayen
Japan
Jarvis Island
Jersey
Johnston Atoll
Jordan
K
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kingman Reef
Kiribati
Korea, North
Korea, South
Kosovo
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
L
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
M
Macau
Macedonia
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Micronesia, Federated States of
Midway Islands
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Morocco
Mozambique
N
Namibia
Nauru
Navassa Island
Nepal
Netherlands
Netherlands Antilles
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Niue
Norfolk Island
Northern Mariana Islands
Norway
O
Oman
P
Pacific Ocean
Pakistan
Palau
Palmyra Atoll
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paracel Islands
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Pitcairn Islands
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Q
Qatar
R
Romania
Russia
Rwanda
S
Saint Barthelemy
Saint Helena
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Martin
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
San Marino
Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Africa
South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands
Southern Ocean
Spain
Spratly Islands
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Suriname
Svalbard
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Syria
T
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Timor-Leste
Togo
Tokelau
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Turks and Caicos Islands
Tuvalu
U
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
V
Vanuatu
Venezuela
Vietnam
Virgin Islands
W
Wake Island
Wallis and Futuna
West Bank
Western Sahara
Y
Yemen
Z
Zambia
Zimbabwe
T
Taiwan
E
European Union
Field Listings
[Transcriber's note: To search on a field code in this file, prefix
the code number with "@", e.g. "@2001". "2001" will find all
occurrences; prefixing it with "@" will find the correct location.]
Code Field Description
2001 GDP (purchasing power parity)
2002 Population growth rate
2003 GDP - real growth rate
2004 GDP - per capita (PPP)
2005 Affiliation
2006 Dependency status
2007 Diplomatic representation from the US
2008 Transportation - note
2010 Age structure
2011 Geographic coordinates
2012 GDP - composition by sector
2013 Radio broadcast stations
2014 Radios
2015 Television broadcast stations
2016 Televisions
2018 Sex ratio
2019 Heliports
2020 Elevation extremes
2021 Natural hazards
2022 People - note
2023 Area - comparative
2024 Military service age and obligation
2025 Manpower fit for military service
2026 Manpower reaching militarily significant age
2028 Background
2030 Airports - with paved runways
2031 Airports - with unpaved runways
2032 Environment - current issues
2033 Environment - international agreements
2034 Military expenditures
2038 Electricity - production
2042 Electricity - consumption
2043 Electricity - imports
2044 Electricity - exports
2045 Electricity - production by source
2046 Population below poverty line
2047 Household income or consumption by percentage share
2048 Labor force - by occupation
2049 Exports - commodities
2050 Exports - partners
2051 Administrative divisions
2052 Agriculture - products
2053 Airports
2054 Birth rate
2055 Military branches
2056 Budget
2057 Capital
2058 Imports - commodities
2059 Climate
2060 Coastline
2061 Imports - partners
2062 Economic aid - donor
2063 Constitution
2064 Economic aid - recipient
2065 Currency (code)
2066 Death rate
2068 Dependent areas
2070 Disputes - international
2075 Ethnic groups
2076 Exchange rates
2077 Executive branch
2078 Exports
2079 Debt - external
2080 Fiscal year
2081 Flag description
2085 Roadways
2086 Illicit drugs
2087 Imports
2088 Independence
2089 Industrial production growth rate
2090 Industries
2091 Infant mortality rate
2092 Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2093 Waterways
2094 Judicial branch
2095 Labor force
2096 Land boundaries
2097 Land use
2098 Languages
2100 Legal system
2101 Legislative branch
2102 Life expectancy at birth
2103 Literacy
2105 Manpower available for military service
2106 Maritime claims
2107 International organization participation
2108 Merchant marine
2109 National holiday
2110 Nationality
2111 Natural resources
2112 Net migration rate
2113 Geography - note
2115 Political pressure groups and leaders
2116 Economy - overview
2117 Pipelines
2118 Political parties and leaders
2119 Population
2120 Ports and terminals
2121 Railways
2122 Religions
2123 Suffrage
2124 Telephone system
2125 Terrain
2127 Total fertility rate
2128 Government type
2129 Unemployment rate
2137 Military - note
2138 Communications - note
2140 Government - note
2141 Group
2142 Country name
2144 Location
2145 Map references
2146 Irrigated land
2147 Area
2149 Diplomatic representation in the US
2150 Telephones - main lines in use
2151 Telephones - mobile cellular
2152 Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
2153 Internet users
2154 Internet country code
2155 HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
2156 HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
2157 HIV/AIDS - deaths
2158 Currency code
2172 Distribution of family income - Gini index
2173 Oil - production
2174 Oil - consumption
2175 Oil - imports
2176 Oil - exports
2177 Median age
2178 Oil - proved reserves
2179 Natural gas - proved reserves
2180 Natural gas - production
2181 Natural gas - consumption
2182 Natural gas - imports
2183 Natural gas - exports
2184 Internet hosts
2185 Investment (gross fixed)
2186 Public debt
2187 Current account balance
2188 Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
2189 Union name
2190 Political structure
2191 Member states
2192 Preliminary statement
2193 Major infectious diseases
2194 Refugees and internally displaced persons
2195 GDP (official exchange rate)
2196 Trafficking in persons
2198 Stock of direct foreign investment - at home
2199 Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad
2200 Market value of publicly traded shares
2201 Total renewable water resources
2202 Freshwater withdrawal
2203 Geographic overview
2204 Economy of the area administered by Turkish Cypriots
2205 School life expectancy (primary to tertiary
2206 Education expenditures
2207 Central bank discount rate
2208 Commercial bank prime lending rate
2209 Stock of money
2210 Stock of quasi money
2211 Stock of domestic credit
2212 Urbanization
======================================================================
References :: Guide to Country Comparisons
[Transcriber's note: To search on a rank order in this file, prefix
the rank's name with "@", e.g. "@Population". "Population" will find
all occurrences; prefixing it with "@" will find the correct location.]
Country Comparison pages are presorted lists of data from selected
Factbook data fields. Country Comparison pages are generally given
in descending order - highest to lowest - such as Population and
Area. The two exceptions are Unemployment Rate and Inflation Rate,
which are in ascending - lowest to highest - order. Country
Comparison pages are available for the following 58 fields in six of
the nine Factbook categories.
Geography ::
Area:
total
People ::
Population:
Population growth rate:
Birth rate:
Death rate:
Net migration rate:
Infant mortality rate:
Life expectancy at birth:
Total fertility rate:
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Education expenditures:
Economy ::
GDP (purchasing power parity):
GDP real growth rate:
GDP - per capita (PPP):
Labor force:
Unemployment rate:
Distribution of family income - Gini Index:
Investment (gross fixed):
Public debt:
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Central bank discount rate:
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Stock of money:
Stock of quasi money:
Stock of domestic credit:
Market value of publicly traded shares:
Industrial production growth rate:
Electricity - production:
Electricity - consumption:
Oil - production:
Oil - consumption:
Oil - exports:
Oil - imports:
Oil - proved reserves:
Natural gas - production:
Natural gas - consumption:
Natural gas - exports:
Natural gas - imports:
Natural gas - proved reserves:
Current account balance:
Exports:
Imports:
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Debt - external:
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
Communications ::
Telephones - main lines in use:
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Internet hosts:
Internet users:
Transportation ::
Airports:
Railways:
total
Roadways:
total
Waterways:
Merchant marine:
total
Military ::
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
Not all Country Comparisons include the same number of entries
because information for a particular field is not available for all
countries. In addition, not all data fields are suitable for
displaying as Country Comparisons, such as those containing textual
information. Textual information is more readily viewed by clicking
on the Field Listing icon next to the Data field title.
All of the Country Comparisons' pages can be downloaded as
tab-delimited data files and can be opened in other applications
such as spreadsheets and databases. To save a Country Comparisons
page in a spreadsheet, first click on the 'Download Datafile' choice
above the Country Comparisons page you selected; then, at the top of
your browser window, click on 'File' and 'Save As'. After saving the
file, open the spreadsheet, find the saved file, and 'Open' it.
======================================================================
Appendixes
Appendix A - Abbreviations
Appendix B - International Organizations and Groups
Appendix C - Selected International Environmental Agreements
Appendix D - Cross-Reference list of Country Data Codes
Appendix E - Cross-Reference List of Hydrographic Data Codes
Appendix F - Cross-Reference List of Geographic Names
Appendix G - Weights and Measures
======================================================================
References :: Definitions and Notes
A
Abbreviations
This information is included in Appendix A: Abbreviations, which
includes all abbreviations and acronyms used in the Factbook, with
their expansions.
Acronyms
An acronym is an abbreviation coined from the initial letter of each
successive word in a term or phrase. In general, an acronym made up
solely from the first letter of the major words in the expanded form
is rendered in all capital letters (NATO from North Atlantic Treaty
Organization; an exception would be ASEAN for Association of
Southeast Asian Nations). In general, an acronym made up of more
than the first letter of the major words in the expanded form is
rendered with only an initial capital letter (Comsat from
Communications Satellite Corporation; an exception would be NAM from
Nonaligned Movement). Hybrid forms are sometimes used to distinguish
between initially identical terms (ICC for International Chamber of
Commerce and ICCt for International Criminal Court).
Administrative divisions
This entry generally gives the numbers, designatory terms, and
first-order administrative divisions as approved by the US Board on
Geographic Names (BGN). Changes that have been reported but not yet
acted on by the BGN are noted.
Age structure
This entry provides the distribution of the population according to
age. Information is included by sex and age group (0-14 years, 15-64
years, 65 years and over). The age structure of a population affects
a nation's key socioeconomic issues. Countries with young
populations (high percentage under age 15) need to invest more in
schools, while countries with older populations (high percentage
ages 65 and over) need to invest more in the health sector. The age
structure can also be used to help predict potential political
issues. For example, the rapid growth of a young adult population
unable to find employment can lead to unrest.
Agriculture - products
This entry is an ordered listing of major crops and products
starting with the most important.
Airports
This entry gives the total number of airports or airfields
recognizable from the air. The runway(s) may be paved (concrete or
asphalt surfaces) or unpaved (grass, earth, sand, or gravel
surfaces) and may include closed or abandoned installations.
Airports or airfields that are no longer recognizable (overgrown, no
facilities, etc.) are not included. Note that not all airports have
accommodations for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control.
Airports - with paved runways
This entry gives the total number of airports with paved runways
(concrete or asphalt surfaces) by length. For airports with more
than one runway, only the longest runway is included according to
the following five groups - (1) over 3,047 m (over 10,000 ft), (2)
2,438 to 3,047 m (8,000 to 10,000 ft), (3) 1,524 to 2,437 m (5,000
to 8,000 ft), (4) 914 to 1,523 m (3,000 to 5,000 ft), and (5) under
914 m (under 3,000 ft). Only airports with usable runways are
included in this listing. Not all airports have facilities for
refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control. The type aircraft
capable of operating from a runway of a given length is dependent
upon a number of factors including elevation of the runway, runway
gradient, average maximum daily temperature at the airport, engine
types, flap settings, and take-off weight of the aircraft.
Airports - with unpaved runways
This entry gives the total number of airports with unpaved runways
(grass, dirt, sand, or gravel surfaces) by length. For airports with
more than one runway, only the longest runway is included according
to the following five groups - (1) over 3,047 m (over 10,000 ft),
(2) 2,438 to 3,047 m (8,000 to 10,000 ft), (3) 1,524 to 2,437 m
(5,000 to 8,000 ft), (4) 914 to 1,523 m (3,000 to 5,000 ft), and (5)
under 914 m (under 3,000 ft). Only airports with usable runways are
included in this listing. Not all airports have facilities for
refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control. The type aircraft
capable of operating from a runway of a given length is dependent
upon a number of factors including elevation of the runway, runway
gradient, average maximum daily temperature at the airport, engine
types, flap settings, and take-off weight of the aircraft.
Appendixes
This section includes Factbook-related material by topic.
Area
This entry includes three subfields. Total area is the sum of all
land and water areas delimited by international boundaries and/or
coastlines. Land area is the aggregate of all surfaces delimited by
international boundaries and/or coastlines, excluding inland water
bodies (lakes, reservoirs, rivers). Water area is the sum of the
surfaces of all inland water bodies, such as lakes, reservoirs, or
rivers, as delimited by international boundaries and/or coastlines.
Area - comparative
This entry provides an area comparison based on total area
equivalents. Most entities are compared with the entire US or one of
the 50 states based on area measurements (1990 revised) provided by
the US Bureau of the Census. The smaller entities are compared with
Washington, DC (178 sq km, 69 sq mi) or The Mall in Washington, DC
(0.59 sq km, 0.23 sq mi, 146 acres).
B
Background
This entry usually highlights major historic events and current
issues and may include a statement about one or two key future
trends.
Birth rate
This entry gives the average annual number of births during a year
per 1,000 persons in the population at midyear; also known as crude
birth rate. The birth rate is usually the dominant factor in
determining the rate of population growth. It depends on both the
level of fertility and the age structure of the population.
Budget
This entry includes revenues, expenditures, and capital
expenditures. These figures are calculated on an exchange rate
basis, i.e., not in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms.
C
Capital
This entry gives the name of the seat of government, its geographic
coordinates, the time difference relative to Coordinated Universal
Time (UTC) and the time observed in Washington, DC, and, if
applicable, information on daylight saving time (DST). Where
appropriate, a special note has been added to highlight those
countries that have multiple time zones.
Central bank discount rate
This entry provides the annualized interest rate a country's central
bank charges commercial, depository banks for loans to meet
temporary shortages of funds.
Climate
This entry includes a brief description of typical weather regimes
throughout the year.
Coastline
This entry gives the total length of the boundary between the land
area (including islands) and the sea.
Commercial bank prime lending rate
This entry provides a simple average of annualized interest rates
commercial banks charge on new loans, denominated in the national
currency, to their most credit-worthy customers.
Communications
This category deals with the means of exchanging information and
includes the telephone, radio, television, and Internet host entries.
Communications - note
This entry includes miscellaneous communications information of
significance not included elsewhere.
Constitution
This entry includes the dates of adoption, revisions, and major
amendments.
Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)
UTC is the international atomic time scale that serves as the basis
of timekeeping for most of the world. The hours, minutes, and
seconds expressed by UTC represent the time of day at the Prime
Meridian (0 deg. longitude) located near Greenwich, England as reckoned
from midnight. UTC is calculated by the Bureau International des
Poids et Measures (BIPM) in Sevres, France. The BIPM averages data
collected from more than 200 atomic time and frequency standards
located at about 50 laboratories worldwide. UTC is the basis for all
civil time with the Earth divided into time zones expressed as
positive or negative differences from UTC. UTC is also referred to
as "Zulu time." See the Standard Time Zones of the World map
included with the Reference Maps.
Country data codes
See Data codes.
Country map
Most versions of the Factbook provide a country map in color. The
maps were produced from the best information available at the time
of preparation. Names and/or boundaries may have changed
subsequently.
Country name
This entry includes all forms of the country's name approved by the
US Board on Geographic Names (Italy is used as an example):
conventional long form (Italian Republic), conventional short form
(Italy), local long form (Repubblica Italiana), local short form
(Italia), former (Kingdom of Italy), as well as the abbreviation.
Also see the Terminology note.
Crude oil
See entry for oil.
Current account balance
This entry records a country's net trade in goods and services, plus
net earnings from rents, interest, profits, and dividends, and net
transfer payments (such as pension funds and worker remittances) to
and from the rest of the world during the period specified. These
figures are calculated on an exchange rate basis, i.e., not in
purchasing power parity (PPP) terms.
D
Data codes
This information is presented in This information is presented in <a
href = "../appendix/appendix-d.html"Appendix D: Cross-Reference List
of Country Data Codes and and <a href =
"../appendix/appendix-e.html" Appendix E: Cross-Reference List of
Hydrographic Data Codes.
Date of information
In general, information available as of 1 January 2007 was used in
the preparation of this edition.
Daylight Saving Time (DST)
This entry is included for those entities that have adopted a policy
of adjusting the official local time forward, usually one hour, from
Standard Time during summer months. Such policies are most common in
mid-latitude regions.
Death rate
This entry gives the average annual number of deaths during a year
per 1,000 population at midyear; also known as crude death rate. The
death rate, while only a rough indicator of the mortality situation
in a country, accurately indicates the current mortality impact on
population growth. This indicator is significantly affected by age
distribution, and most countries will eventually show a rise in the
overall death rate, in spite of continued decline in mortality at
all ages, as declining fertility results in an aging population.
Debt - external
This entry gives the total public and private debt owed to
nonresidents repayable in foreign currency, goods, or services.
These figures are calculated on an exchange rate basis, i.e., not in
purchasing power parity (PPP) terms.
Dependency status
This entry describes the formal relationship between a particular
nonindependent entity and an independent state.
Dependent areas
This entry contains an alphabetical listing of all nonindependent
entities associated in some way with a particular independent state.
Diplomatic representation
The US Government has diplomatic relations with 189 independent
states, including 187 of the 192 UN members (excluded UN members are
Bhutan, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and the US itself). In addition,
the US has diplomatic relations with 2 independent states that are
not in the UN, the Holy See and Kosovo, as well as with the EU.
Diplomatic representation from the US
This entry includes the chief of mission, embassy address, mailing
address, telephone number, FAX number, branch office locations,
consulate general locations, and consulate locations.
Diplomatic representation in the US
This entry includes the chief of mission, chancery, telephone, FAX,
consulate general locations, and consulate locations.
Disputes - international
This entry includes a wide variety of situations that range from
traditional bilateral boundary disputes to unilateral claims of one
sort or another. Information regarding disputes over international
terrestrial and maritime boundaries has been reviewed by the US
Department of State. References to other situations involving
borders or frontiers may also be included, such as resource
disputes, geopolitical questions, or irredentist issues; however,
inclusion does not necessarily constitute official acceptance or
recognition by the US Government.
Distribution of family income - Gini index
This index measures the degree of inequality in the distribution of
family income in a country. The index is calculated from the Lorenz
curve, in which cumulative family income is plotted against the
number of families arranged from the poorest to the richest. The
index is the ratio of (a) the area between a country's Lorenz curve
and the 45 degree helping line to (b) the entire triangular area
under the 45 degree line. The more nearly equal a country's income
distribution, the closer its Lorenz curve to the 45 degree line and
the lower its Gini index, e.g., a Scandinavian country with an index
of 25. The more unequal a country's income distribution, the farther
its Lorenz curve from the 45 degree line and the higher its Gini
index, e.g., a Sub-Saharan country with an index of 50. If income
were distributed with perfect equality, the Lorenz curve would
coincide with the 45 degree line and the index would be zero; if
income were distributed with perfect inequality, the Lorenz curve
would coincide with the horizontal axis and the right vertical axis
and the index would be 100.
E
Economy
This category includes the entries dealing with the size,
development, and management of productive resources, i.e., land,
labor, and capital.
Economy - overview
This entry briefly describes the type of economy, including the
degree of market orientation, the level of economic development, the
most important natural resources, and the unique areas of
specialization. It also characterizes major economic events and
policy changes in the most recent 12 months and may include a
statement about one or two key future macroeconomic trends.
Education expenditures
This entry provides the public expenditure on education as a percent
of GDP.
Electricity - consumption
This entry consists of total electricity generated annually plus
imports and minus exports, expressed in kilowatt-hours. The
discrepancy between the amount of electricity generated and/or
imported and the amount consumed and/or exported is accounted for as
loss in transmission and distribution.
Electricity - exports
This entry is the total exported electricity in kilowatt-hours.
Electricity - imports
This entry is the total imported electricity in kilowatt-hours.
Electricity - production
This entry is the annual electricity generated expressed in
kilowatt-hours. The discrepancy between the amount of electricity
generated and/or imported and the amount consumed and/or exported is
accounted for as loss in transmission and distribution.
Elevation extremes
This entry includes both the highest point and the lowest point.
Entities
Some of the independent states, dependencies, areas of special
sovereignty, and governments included in this publication are not
independent, and others are not officially recognized by the US
Government. "Independent state" refers to a people politically
organized into a sovereign state with a definite territory.
"Dependencies" and "areas of special sovereignty" refer to a broad
category of political entities that are associated in some way with
an independent state. "Country" names used in the table of contents
or for page headings are usually the short-form names as approved by
the US Board on Geographic Names and may include independent states,
dependencies, and areas of special sovereignty, or other geographic
entities. There are a total of 266 separate geographic entities in
The World Factbook that may be categorized as follows:
INDEPENDENT STATES
194 Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and
Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The
Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize,
Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil,
Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon,
Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China,
Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the
Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador,
Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia,
Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana,
Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti,
Holy See, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq,
Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya,
Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan,
Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia,
Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius,
Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia,
Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands,
NZ, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau,
Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland,
Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis,
Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino,
Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles,
Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands,
Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland,
Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand,
Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey,
Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, UAE, UK, US, Uruguay,
Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
OTHER
2 Taiwan, European Union
DEPENDENCIES AND AREAS OF SPECIAL SOVEREIGNTY
6 Australia - Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos
(Keeling) Islands, Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald
Islands, Norfolk Island
2 China - Hong Kong, Macau
2 Denmark - Faroe Islands, Greenland
9 France - Clipperton Island, French Polynesia, French Southern and
Antarctic Lands, Mayotte, New Caledonia, Saint Barthelemy, Saint
Martin, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna
2 Netherlands - Aruba, Netherlands Antilles
3 New Zealand - Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau
3 Norway - Bouvet Island, Jan Mayen, Svalbard
17 UK - Akrotiri, Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory,
British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dhekelia, Falkland Islands,
Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey, Isle of Man, Montserrat, Pitcairn
Islands, Saint Helena, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands,
Turks and Caicos Islands
14 US - 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 (* consolidated in United States Pacific
Island Wildlife Refuges entry)
MISCELLANEOUS
6 Antarctica, Gaza Strip, Paracel Islands, Spratly Islands, West
Bank, Western Sahara
OTHER ENTITIES
5 oceans - Arctic Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Pacific
Ocean, Southern Ocean
1 World
266 total
Environment - current issues
This entry lists the most pressing and important environmental
problems. The following terms and abbreviations are used throughout
the entry:
Acidification - the lowering of soil and water pH due to acid
precipitation and deposition usually through precipitation; this
process disrupts ecosystem nutrient flows and may kill freshwater
fish and plants dependent on more neutral or alkaline conditions
(see acid rain).
Acid rain - characterized as containing harmful levels of sulfur
dioxide or nitrogen oxide; acid rain is damaging and potentially
deadly to the earth's fragile ecosystems; acidity is measured using
the pH scale where 7 is neutral, values greater than 7 are
considered alkaline, and values below 5.6 are considered acid
precipitation; note - a pH of 2.4 (the acidity of vinegar) has been
measured in rainfall in New England.
Aerosol - a collection of airborne particles dispersed in a gas,
smoke, or fog.
Afforestation - converting a bare or agricultural space by planting
trees and plants; reforestation involves replanting trees on areas
that have been cut or destroyed by fire.
Asbestos - a naturally occurring soft fibrous mineral commonly used
in fireproofing materials and considered to be highly carcinogenic
in particulate form.
Biodiversity - also biological diversity; the relative number of
species, diverse in form and function, at the genetic, organism,
community, and ecosystem level; loss of biodiversity reduces an
ecosystem's ability to recover from natural or man-induced
disruption.
Bio-indicators - a plant or animal species whose presence,
abundance, and health reveal the general condition of its habitat.
Biomass - the total weight or volume of living matter in a given
area or volume.
Carbon cycle - the term used to describe the exchange of carbon (in
various forms, e.g., as carbon dioxide) between the atmosphere,
ocean, terrestrial biosphere, and geological deposits.
Catchments - assemblages used to capture and retain rainwater and
runoff; an important water management technique in areas with
limited freshwater resources, such as Gibraltar.
DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloro-ethane) - a colorless, odorless
insecticide that has toxic effects on most animals; the use of DDT
was banned in the US in 1972.
Defoliants - chemicals which cause plants to lose their leaves
artificially; often used in agricultural practices for weed control,
and may have detrimental impacts on human and ecosystem health.
Deforestation - the destruction of vast areas of forest (e.g.,
unsustainable forestry practices, agricultural and range land
clearing, and the over exploitation of wood products for use as
fuel) without planting new growth.
Desertification - the spread of desert-like conditions in arid or
semi-arid areas, due to overgrazing, loss of agriculturally
productive soils, or climate change.
Dredging - the practice of deepening an existing waterway; also, a
technique used for collecting bottom-dwelling marine organisms
(e.g., shellfish) or harvesting coral, often causing significant
destruction of reef and ocean-floor ecosystems.
Drift-net fishing - done with a net, miles in extent, that is
generally anchored to a boat and left to float with the tide; often
results in an over harvesting and waste of large populations of
non-commercial marine species (by-catch) by its effect of "sweeping
the ocean clean."
Ecosystems - ecological units comprised of complex communities of
organisms and their specific environments.
Effluents - waste materials, such as smoke, sewage, or industrial
waste which are released into the environment, subsequently
polluting it.
Endangered species - a species that is threatened with extinction
either by direct hunting or habitat destruction.
Freshwater - water with very low soluble mineral content; sources
include lakes, streams, rivers, glaciers, and underground aquifers.
Greenhouse gas - a gas that "traps" infrared radiation in the lower
atmosphere causing surface warming; water vapor, carbon dioxide,
nitrous oxide, methane, hydrofluorocarbons, and ozone are the
primary greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere.
Groundwater - water sources found below the surface of the earth
often in naturally occurring reservoirs in permeable rock strata;
the source for wells and natural springs.
Highlands Water Project - a series of dams constructed jointly by
Lesotho and South Africa to redirect Lesotho's abundant water supply
into a rapidly growing area in South Africa; while it is the largest
infrastructure project in southern Africa, it is also the most
costly and controversial; objections to the project include claims
that it forces people from their homes, submerges farmlands, and
squanders economic resources.
Inuit Circumpolar Conference (ICC) - represents the 145,000 Inuits
of Russia, Alaska, Canada, and Greenland in international
environmental issues; a General Assembly convenes every three years
to determine the focus of the ICC; the most current concerns are
long-range transport of pollutants, sustainable development, and
climate change.
Metallurgical plants - industries which specialize in the science,
technology, and processing of metals; these plants produce highly
concentrated and toxic wastes which can contribute to pollution of
ground water and air when not properly disposed.
Noxious substances - injurious, very harmful to living beings.
Overgrazing - the grazing of animals on plant material faster than
it can naturally regrow leading to the permanent loss of plant
cover, a common effect of too many animals grazing limited range
land.
Ozone shield - a layer of the atmosphere composed of ozone gas (O3)
that resides approximately 25 miles above the Earth's surface and
absorbs solar ultraviolet radiation that can be harmful to living
organisms.
Poaching - the illegal killing of animals or fish, a great concern
with respect to endangered or threatened species.
Pollution - the contamination of a healthy environment by man-made
waste.
Potable water - water that is drinkable, safe to be consumed.
Salination - the process through which fresh (drinkable) water
becomes salt (undrinkable) water; hence, desalination is the reverse
process; also involves the accumulation of salts in topsoil caused
by evaporation of excessive irrigation water, a process that can
eventually render soil incapable of supporting crops.
Siltation - occurs when water channels and reservoirs become clotted
with silt and mud, a side effect of deforestation and soil erosion.
Slash-and-burn agriculture - a rotating cultivation technique in
which trees are cut down and burned in order to clear land for
temporary agriculture; the land is used until its productivity
declines at which point a new plot is selected and the process
repeats; this practice is sustainable while population levels are
low and time is permitted for regrowth of natural vegetation;
conversely, where these conditions do not exist, the practice can
have disastrous consequences for the environment.
Soil degradation - damage to the land's productive capacity because
of poor agricultural practices such as the excessive use of
pesticides or fertilizers, soil compaction from heavy equipment, or
erosion of topsoil, eventually resulting in reduced ability to
produce agricultural products.
Soil erosion - the removal of soil by the action of water or wind,
compounded by poor agricultural practices, deforestation,
overgrazing, and desertification.
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation - a portion of the electromagnetic energy
emitted by the sun and naturally filtered in the upper atmosphere by
the ozone layer; UV radiation can be harmful to living organisms and
has been linked to increasing rates of skin cancer in humans.
Waterborne diseases - those in which bacteria survive in, and are
transmitted through, water; always a serious threat in areas with an
untreated water supply.
Environment - international agreements
This entry separates country participation in international
environmental agreements into two levels - party to and signed, but
not ratified. Agreements are listed in alphabetical order by the
abbreviated form of the full name.
Environmental agreements
This information is presented in This information is presented in <a
href = "../appendix/appendix-c.html"Appendix C: Selected
International Environmental Agreements, which includes the name,
abbreviation, date opened for signature, date entered into force,
objective, and parties by category.
Ethnic groups
This entry provides an ordered listing of ethnic groups starting
with the largest and normally includes the percent of total
population.
Exchange rates
This entry provides the official value of a country's monetary unit
at a given date or over a given period of time, as expressed in
units of local currency per US dollar and as determined by
international market forces or official fiat. The International
Organization for Standardization (ISO) 4217 alphabetic currency code
for the national medium of exchange is presented in parenthesis.
Executive branch
This entry includes several subfields. Chief of state includes the
name and title of the titular leader of the country who represents
the state at official and ceremonial functions but may not be
involved with the day-to-day activities of the government. Head of
government includes the name and title of the top administrative
leader who is designated to manage the day-to-day activities of the
government. For example, in the UK, the monarch is the chief of
state, and the prime minister is the head of government. In the US,
the president is both the chief of state and the head of government.
Cabinet includes the official name for this body of high-ranking
advisers and the method for selection of members. Elections includes
the nature of election process or accession to power, date of the
last election, and date of the next election. Election results
includes the percent of vote for each candidate in the last election.
Exports
This entry provides the total US dollar amount of merchandise
exports on an f.o.b. (free on board) basis. These figures are
calculated on an exchange rate basis, i.e., not in purchasing power
parity (PPP) terms.
Exports - commodities
This entry provides a listing of the highest-valued exported
products; it sometimes includes the percent of total dollar value.
Exports - partners
This entry provides a rank ordering of trading partners starting
with the most important; it sometimes includes the percent of total
dollar value.
F
Flag description
This entry provides a written flag description produced from actual
flags or the best information available at the time the entry was
written. The flags of independent states are used by their
dependencies unless there is an officially recognized local flag.
Some disputed and other areas do not have flags.
Flag graphic
Most versions of the Factbook include a color flag at the beginning
of the country profile. The flag graphics were produced from actual
flags or the best information available at the time of preparation.
The flags of independent states are used by their dependencies
unless there is an officially recognized local flag. Some disputed
and other areas do not have flags.
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)
This entry provides the annual quantity of water in cubic kilometers
removed from available sources for use in any purpose. Water
drawn-off is not necessarily entirely consumed and some portion may
be returned for further use downstream. Domestic sector use refers
to water supplied by public distribution systems. Note that some of
this total may be used for small industrial and/or limited
agricultural purposes. Industrial sector use is the quantity of
water used by self-supplied industries not connected to a public
distribution system. Agricultural sector use includes water used for
irrigation and livestock watering, and does not account for
agriculture directly dependent on rainfall. Included are figures for
total annual water withdrawal and per capita water withdrawal.
G
GDP (official exchange rate)
This entry gives the gross domestic product (GDP) or value of all
final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year. A
nation's GDP at official exchange rates (OER) is the
home-currency-denominated annual GDP figure divided by the bilateral
average US exchange rate with that country in that year. The measure
is simple to compute and gives a precise measure of the value of
output. Many economists prefer this measure when gauging the
economic power an economy maintains vis-a-vis its neighbors, judging
that an exchange rate captures the purchasing power a nation enjoys
in the international marketplace. Official exchange rates, however,
can be artificially fixed and/or subject to manipulation - resulting
in claims of the country having an under- or over-valued currency -
and are not necessarily the equivalent of a market-determined
exchange rate. Moreover, even if the official exchange rate is
market-determined, market exchange rates are frequently established
by a relatively small set of goods and services (the ones the
country trades) and may not capture the value of the larger set of
goods the country produces. Furthermore, OER-converted GDP is not
well suited to comparing domestic GDP over time, since
appreciation/depreciation from one year to the next will make the
OER GDP value rise/fall regardless of whether
home-currency-denominated GDP changed.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
This entry gives the gross domestic product (GDP) or value of all
final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year. A
nation's GDP at purchasing power parity (PPP) exchange rates is the
sum value of all goods and services produced in the country valued
at prices prevailing in the United States. This is the measure most
economists prefer when looking at per-capita welfare and when
comparing living conditions or use of resources across countries.
The measure is difficult to compute, as a US dollar value has to be
assigned to all goods and services in the country regardless of
whether these goods and services have a direct equivalent in the
United States (for example, the value of an ox-cart or non-US
military equipment); as a result, PPP estimates for some countries
are based on a small and sometimes different set of goods and
services. In addition, many countries do not formally participate in
the World Bank's PPP project that calculates these measures, so the
resulting GDP estimates for these countries may lack precision. For
many developing countries, PPP-based GDP measures are multiples of
the official exchange rate (OER) measure. The differences between
the OER- and PPP-denominated GDP values for most of the wealthy
industrialized countries are generally much smaller.
GDP - composition by sector
This entry gives the percentage contribution of agriculture,
industry, and services to total GDP. The distribution will total
less than 100 percent if the data are incomplete.
GDP - per capita (PPP)
This entry shows GDP on a purchasing power parity basis divided by
population as of 1 July for the same year.
GDP - real growth rate
This entry gives GDP growth on an annual basis adjusted for
inflation and expressed as a percent.
GDP methodology
In the Economy category, GDP dollar estimates for countries are
reported both on an official exchange rate (OER) and a purchasing
power parity (PPP) basis. Both measures contain information that is
useful to the reader. The PPP method involves the use of
standardized international dollar price weights, which are applied
to the quantities of final goods and services produced in a given
economy. The data derived from the PPP method probably provide the
best available starting point for comparisons of economic strength
and well-being between countries. In contrast, the currency exchange
rate method involves a variety of international and domestic
financial forces that may not capture the value of domestic output.
Whereas PPP estimates for OECD countries are quite reliable, PPP
estimates for developing countries are often rough approximations.
In developing countries with weak currencies, the exchange rate
estimate of GDP in dollars is typically one-fourth to one-half the
PPP estimate. Most of the GDP estimates for developing countries are
based on extrapolation of PPP numbers published by the UN
International Comparison Program (UNICP) and by Professors Robert
Summers and Alan Heston of the University of Pennsylvania and their
colleagues. GDP derived using the OER method should be used for the
purpose of calculating the share of items such as exports, imports,
military expenditures, external debt, or the current account
balance, because the dollar values presented in the Factbook for
these items have been converted at official exchange rates, not at
PPP. One should use the OER GDP figure to calculate the proportion
of, say, Chinese defense expenditures in GDP, because that share
will be the same as one calculated in local currency units.
Comparison of OER GDP with PPP GDP may also indicate whether a
currency is over- or under-valued. If OER GDP is smaller than PPP
GDP, the official exchange rate may be undervalued, and vice versa.
However, there is no strong historical evidence that market exchange
rates move in the direction implied by the PPP rate, at least not in
the short- or medium-term. Note: the numbers for GDP and other
economic data should not be chained together from successive volumes
of the Factbook because of changes in the US dollar measuring rod,
revisions of data by statistical agencies, use of new or different
sources of information, and changes in national statistical methods
and practices.
GNP
Gross national product (GNP) is the value of all final goods and
services produced within a nation in a given year, plus income
earned by its citizens abroad, minus income earned by foreigners
from domestic production. The Factbook, following current practice,
uses GDP rather than GNP to measure national production. However,
the user must realize that in certain countries net remittances from
citizens working abroad may be important to national well-being.
GWP
This entry gives the gross world product (GWP) or aggregate value of
all final goods and services produced worldwide in a given year.
Geographic coordinates
This entry includes rounded latitude and longitude figures for the
purpose of finding the approximate geographic center of an entity
and is based on the locations provided in the Geographic Names
Server (GNS), maintained by the National Geospatial-Intelligence
Agency on behalf of the US Board on Geographic Names.
Geographic names
This information is presented in This information is presented in <a
href = "../appendix/appendix-f.html"Appendix F: Cross Reference List
of Geographic Names. It includes a listing of various alternate
names, former names, local names, and regional names referenced to
one or more related Factbook entries. Spellings are normally, but
not always, those approved by the US Board on Geographic Names
(BGN). Alternate names and additional information are included in
parentheses.
Geography
This category includes the entries dealing with the natural
environment and the effects of human activity.
Geography - note
This entry includes miscellaneous geographic information of
significance not included elsewhere.
Gini index
See entry for Distribution of family income - Gini index
Government
This category includes the entries dealing with the system for the
adoption and administration of public policy.
Government - note
This entry includes miscellaneous government information of
significance not included elsewhere.
Government type
This entry gives the basic form of government. Definitions of the
major governmental terms are as follows. (Note that for some
countries more than one definition applies.):
Absolute monarchy - a form of government where the monarch rules
unhindered, i.e., without any laws, constitution, or legally
organized opposition.
Anarchy - a condition of lawlessness or political disorder brought
about by the absence of governmental authority.
Authoritarian - a form of government in which state authority is
imposed onto many aspects of citizens' lives.
Commonwealth - a nation, state, or other political entity founded on
law and united by a compact of the people for the common good.
Communist - a system of government in which the state plans and
controls the economy and a single - often authoritarian - party
holds power; state controls are imposed with the elimination of
private ownership of property or capital while claiming to make
progress toward a higher social order in which all goods are equally
shared by the people (i.e., a classless society).
Confederacy (Confederation) - a union by compact or treaty between
states, provinces, or territories, that creates a central government
with limited powers; the constituent entities retain supreme
authority over all matters except those delegated to the central
government.
Constitutional - a government by or operating under an authoritative
document (constitution) that sets forth the system of fundamental
laws and principles that determines the nature, functions, and
limits of that government.
Constitutional democracy - a form of government in which the
sovereign power of the people is spelled out in a governing
constitution.
Constitutional monarchy - a system of government in which a monarch
is guided by a constitution whereby his/her rights, duties, and
responsibilities are spelled out in written law or by custom.
Democracy - a form of government in which the supreme power is
retained by the people, but which is usually exercised indirectly
through a system of representation and delegated authority
periodically renewed.
Democratic republic - a state in which the supreme power rests in
the body of citizens entitled to vote for officers and
representatives responsible to them.
Dictatorship - a form of government in which a ruler or small clique
wield absolute power (not restricted by a constitution or laws).
Ecclesiastical - a government administrated by a church.
Emirate - similar to a monarchy or sultanate, but a government in
which the supreme power is in the hands of an emir (the ruler of a
Muslim state); the emir may be an absolute overlord or a sovereign
with constitutionally limited authority.
Federal (Federation) - a form of government in which sovereign power
is formally divided - usually by means of a constitution - between a
central authority and a number of constituent regions (states,
colonies, or provinces) so that each region retains some management
of its internal affairs; differs from a confederacy in that the
central government exerts influence directly upon both individuals
as well as upon the regional units.
Federal republic - a state in which the powers of the central
government are restricted and in which the component parts (states,
colonies, or provinces) retain a degree of self-government; ultimate
sovereign power rests with the voters who chose their governmental
representatives.
Islamic republic - a particular form of government adopted by some
Muslim states; although such a state is, in theory, a theocracy, it
remains a republic, but its laws are required to be compatible with
the laws of Islam.
Maoism - the theory and practice of Marxism-Leninism developed in
China by Mao Zedong (Mao Tse-tung), which states that a continuous
revolution is necessary if the leaders of a communist state are to
keep in touch with the people.
Marxism - the political, economic, and social principles espoused by
19th century economist Karl Marx; he viewed the struggle of workers
as a progression of historical forces that would proceed from a
class struggle of the proletariat (workers) exploited by capitalists
(business owners), to a socialist "dictatorship of the proletariat,"
to, finally, a classless society - Communism.
Marxism-Leninism - an expanded form of communism developed by Lenin
from doctrines of Karl Marx; Lenin saw imperialism as the final
stage of capitalism and shifted the focus of workers' struggle from
developed to underdeveloped countries.
Monarchy - a government in which the supreme power is lodged in the
hands of a monarch who reigns over a state or territory, usually for
life and by hereditary right; the monarch may be either a sole
absolute ruler or a sovereign - such as a king, queen, or prince -
with constitutionally limited authority.
Oligarchy - a government in which control is exercised by a small
group of individuals whose authority generally is based on wealth or
power.
Parliamentary democracy - a political system in which the
legislature (parliament) selects the government - a prime minister,
premier, or chancellor along with the cabinet ministers - according
to party strength as expressed in elections; by this system, the
government acquires a dual responsibility: to the people as well as
to the parliament.
Parliamentary government (Cabinet-Parliamentary government) - a
government in which members of an executive branch (the cabinet and
its leader - a prime minister, premier, or chancellor) are nominated
to their positions by a legislature or parliament, and are directly
responsible to it; this type of government can be dissolved at will
by the parliament (legislature) by means of a no confidence vote or
the leader of the cabinet may dissolve the parliament if it can no
longer function.
Parliamentary monarchy - a state headed by a monarch who is not
actively involved in policy formation or implementation (i.e., the
exercise of sovereign powers by a monarch in a ceremonial capacity);
true governmental leadership is carried out by a cabinet and its
head - a prime minister, premier, or chancellor - who are drawn from
a legislature (parliament).
Presidential - a system of government where the executive branch
exists separately from a legislature (to which it is generally not
accountable).
Republic - a representative democracy in which the people's elected
deputies (representatives), not the people themselves, vote on
legislation.
Socialism - a government in which the means of planning, producing,
and distributing goods is controlled by a central government that
theoretically seeks a more just and equitable distribution of
property and labor; in actuality, most socialist governments have
ended up being no more than dictatorships over workers by a ruling
elite.
Sultanate - similar to a monarchy, but a government in which the
supreme power is in the hands of a sultan (the head of a Muslim
state); the sultan may be an absolute ruler or a sovereign with
constitutionally limited authority.
Theocracy - a form of government in which a Deity is recognized as
the supreme civil ruler, but the Deity's laws are interpreted by
ecclesiastical authorities (bishops, mullahs, etc.); a government
subject to religious authority.
Totalitarian - a government that seeks to subordinate the individual
to the state by controlling not only all political and economic
matters, but also the attitudes, values, and beliefs of its
population.
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
The mean solar time at the Greenwich Meridian, Greenwich, England,
with the hours and days, since 1925, reckoned from midnight. GMT is
now a historical term having been replaced by UTC on 1 January 1972.
See Coordinated Universal Time.
Gross domestic product
See GDP
Gross national product
See GNP
Gross world product
See GWP
H
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
This entry gives an estimate of the percentage of adults (aged
15-49) living with HIV/AIDS. The adult prevalence rate is calculated
by dividing the estimated number of adults living with HIV/AIDS at
yearend by the total adult population at yearend.
HIV/AIDS - deaths
This entry gives an estimate of the number of adults and children
who died of AIDS during a given calendar year.
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
This entry gives an estimate of all people (adults and children)
alive at yearend with HIV infection, whether or not they have
developed symptoms of AIDS.
Heliports
This entry gives the total number of heliports with hard-surface
runways, helipads, or landing areas that support routine sustained
helicopter operations exclusively and have support facilities
including one or more of the following facilities: lighting, fuel,
passenger handling, or maintenance. It includes former airports used
exclusively for helicopter operations but excludes heliports limited
to day operations and natural clearings that could support
helicopter landings and takeoffs.
Household income or consumption by percentage share
Data on household income or consumption come from household surveys,
the results adjusted for household size. Nations use different
standards and procedures in collecting and adjusting the data.
Surveys based on income will normally show a more unequal
distribution than surveys based on consumption. The quality of
surveys is improving with time, yet caution is still necessary in
making inter-country comparisons.
Hydrographic data codes
See Data codes
I
Illicit drugs
This entry gives information on the five categories of illicit drugs
- narcotics, stimulants, depressants (sedatives), hallucinogens, and
cannabis. These categories include many drugs legally produced and
prescribed by doctors as well as those illegally produced and sold
outside of medical channels.
Cannabis (Cannabis sativa) is the common hemp plant, which provides
hallucinogens with some sedative properties, and includes marijuana
(pot, Acapulco gold, grass, reefer), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC,
Marinol), hashish (hash), and hashish oil (hash oil).
Coca (mostly Erythroxylum coca) is a bush with leaves that contain
the stimulant used to make cocaine. Coca is not to be confused with
cocoa, which comes from cacao seeds and is used in making chocolate,
cocoa, and cocoa butter.
Cocaine is a stimulant derived from the leaves of the coca bush.
Depressants (sedatives) are drugs that reduce tension and anxiety
and include chloral hydrate, barbiturates (Amytal, Nembutal,
Seconal, phenobarbital), benzodiazepines (Librium, Valium),
methaqualone (Quaalude), glutethimide (Doriden), and others
(Equanil, Placidyl, Valmid).
Drugs are any chemical substances that effect a physical, mental,
emotional, or behavioral change in an individual.
Drug abuse is the use of any licit or illicit chemical substance
that results in physical, mental, emotional, or behavioral
impairment in an individual.
Hallucinogens are drugs that affect sensation, thinking,
self-awareness, and emotion. Hallucinogens include LSD (acid,
microdot), mescaline and peyote (mexc, buttons, cactus), amphetamine
variants (PMA, STP, DOB), phencyclidine (PCP, angel dust, hog),
phencyclidine analogues (PCE, PCPy, TCP), and others (psilocybin,
psilocyn).
Hashish is the resinous exudate of the cannabis or hemp plant
(Cannabis sativa).
Heroin is a semisynthetic derivative of morphine.
Mandrax is a trade name for methaqualone, a pharmaceutical
depressant.
Marijuana is the dried leaf of the cannabis or hemp plant (Cannabis
sativa).
Methaqualone is a pharmaceutical depressant, referred to as mandrax
in Southwest Asia and Africa.
Narcotics are drugs that relieve pain, often induce sleep, and refer
to opium, opium derivatives, and synthetic substitutes. Natural
narcotics include opium (paregoric, parepectolin), morphine
(MS-Contin, Roxanol), codeine (Tylenol with codeine, Empirin with
codeine, Robitussin AC), and thebaine. Semisynthetic narcotics
include heroin (horse, smack), and hydromorphone (Dilaudid).
Synthetic narcotics include meperidine or Pethidine (Demerol,
Mepergan), methadone (Dolophine, Methadose), and others (Darvon,
Lomotil).
Opium is the brown, gummy exudate of the incised, unripe seedpod of
the opium poppy.
Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) is the source for the natural and
semisynthetic narcotics.
Poppy straw is the entire cut and dried opium poppy-plant material,
other than the seeds. Opium is extracted from poppy straw in
commercial operations that produce the drug for medical use.
Qat (kat, khat) is a stimulant from the buds or leaves of Catha
edulis that is chewed or drunk as tea.
Quaaludes is the North American slang term for methaqualone, a
pharmaceutical depressant.
Stimulants are drugs that relieve mild depression, increase energy
and activity, and include cocaine (coke, snow, crack), amphetamines
(Desoxyn, Dexedrine), ephedrine, ecstasy (clarity, essence, doctor,
Adam), phenmetrazine (Preludin), methylphenidate (Ritalin), and
others (Cylert, Sanorex, Tenuate).
Imports
This entry provides the total US dollar amount of merchandise
imports on a c.i.f. (cost, insurance, and freight) or f.o.b. (free
on board) basis. These figures are calculated on an exchange rate
basis, i.e., not in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms.
Imports - commodities
This entry provides a listing of the highest-valued imported
products; it sometimes includes the percent of total dollar value.
Imports - partners
This entry provides a rank ordering of trading partners starting
with the most important; it sometimes includes the percent of total
dollar value.
Independence
For most countries, this entry gives the date that sovereignty was
achieved and from which nation, empire, or trusteeship. For the
other countries, the date given may not represent "independence" in
the strict sense, but rather some significant nationhood event such
as the traditional founding date or the date of unification,
federation, confederation, establishment, fundamental change in the
form of government, or state succession. Dependent areas include the
notation "none" followed by the nature of their dependency status.
Also see the Terminology note.
Industrial production growth rate
This entry gives the annual percentage increase in industrial
production (includes manufacturing, mining, and construction).
Industries
This entry provides a rank ordering of industries starting with the
largest by value of annual output.
Infant mortality rate
This entry gives the number of deaths of infants under one year old
in a given year per 1,000 live births in the same year; included is
the total death rate, and deaths by sex, male and female. This rate
is often used as an indicator of the level of health in a country.
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
This entry furnishes the annual percent change in consumer prices
compared with the previous year's consumer prices.
International disputes
see Disputes - international
International organization participation
This entry lists in alphabetical order by abbreviation those
international organizations in which the subject country is a member
or participates in some other way.
International organizations
This information is presented in This information is presented in <a
href = "../appendix/appendix-b.html"Appendix B: International
Organizations and Groups which includes the name, abbreviation, date
established, aim, and members by category.
Internet country code
This entry includes the two-letter codes maintained by the
International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in the ISO 3166
Alpha-2 list and used by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority
(IANA) to establish country-coded top-level domains (ccTLDs).
Internet hosts
This entry lists the number of Internet hosts available within a
country. An Internet host is a computer connected directly to the
Internet; normally an Internet Service Provider's (ISP) computer is
a host. Internet users may use either a hard-wired terminal, at an
institution with a mainframe computer connected directly to the
Internet, or may connect remotely by way of a modem via telephone
line, cable, or satellite to the Internet Service Provider's host
computer. The number of hosts is one indicator of the extent of
Internet connectivity.
Internet users
This entry gives the number of users within a country that access
the Internet. Statistics vary from country to country and may
include users who access the Internet at least several times a week
to those who access it only once within a period of several months.
Introduction
This category includes one entry, Background.
Investment (gross fixed)
This entry records total business spending on fixed assets, such as
factories, machinery, equipment, dwellings, and inventories of raw
materials, which provide the basis for future production. It is
measured gross of the depreciation of the assets, i.e., it includes
investment that merely replaces worn-out or scrapped capital.
Irrigated land
This entry gives the number of square kilometers of land area that
is artificially supplied with water.
J
Judicial branch
This entry contains the name(s) of the highest court(s) and a brief
description of the selection process for members.
L
Labor force
This entry contains the total labor force figure.
Labor force - by occupation
This entry lists the percentage distribution of the labor force by
occupation. The distribution will total less than 100 percent if the
data are incomplete.
Land boundaries
This entry contains the total length of all land boundaries and the
individual lengths for each of the contiguous border countries. When
available, official lengths published by national statistical
agencies are used. Because surveying methods may differ, country
border lengths reported by contiguous countries may differ.
Land use
This entry contains the percentage shares of total land area for
three different types of land use: arable land - land cultivated for
crops like wheat, maize, and rice that are replanted after each
harvest; permanent crops - land cultivated for crops like citrus,
coffee, and rubber that are not replanted after each harvest;
includes land under flowering shrubs, fruit trees, nut trees, and
vines, but excludes land under trees grown for wood or timber; other
- any land not arable or under permanent crops; includes permanent
meadows and pastures, forests and woodlands, built-on areas, roads,
barren land, etc.
Languages
This entry provides a rank ordering of languages starting with the
largest and sometimes includes the percent of total population
speaking that language.
Legal system
This entry contains a brief description of the legal system's
historical roots, role in government, and acceptance of
International Court of Justice (ICJ) jurisdiction.
Legislative branch
This entry contains information on the structure (unicameral,
bicameral, tricameral), formal name, number of seats, and term of
office. Elections includes the nature of the election process or
accession to power, date of the last election, and date of the next
election. Election results includes the percent of vote and/or
number of seats held by each party in the last election.
Life expectancy at birth
This entry contains the average number of years to be lived by a
group of people born in the same year, if mortality at each age
remains constant in the future. The entry includes total population
as well as the male and female components. Life expectancy at birth
is also a measure of overall quality of life in a country and
summarizes the mortality at all ages. It can also be thought of as
indicating the potential return on investment in human capital and
is necessary for the calculation of various actuarial measures.
Literacy
This entry includes a definition of literacy and Census Bureau
percentages for the total population, males, and females. There are
no universal definitions and standards of literacy. Unless otherwise
specified, all rates are based on the most common definition - the
ability to read and write at a specified age. Detailing the
standards that individual countries use to assess the ability to
read and write is beyond the scope of the Factbook. Information on
literacy, while not a perfect measure of educational results, is
probably the most easily available and valid for international
comparisons. Low levels of literacy, and education in general, can
impede the economic development of a country in the current rapidly
changing, technology-driven world.
Location
This entry identifies the country's regional location, neighboring
countries, and adjacent bodies of water.
M
Major infectious diseases
This entry lists major infectious diseases likely to be encountered
in countries where the risk of such diseases is assessed to be very
high as compared to the United States. These infectious diseases
represent risks to US government personnel traveling to the
specified country for a period of less than three years. The degree
of risk is assessed by considering the foreign nature of these
infectious diseases, their severity, and the probability of being
affected by the diseases present. The diseases listed do not
necessarily represent the total disease burden experienced by the
local population.
The risk to an individual traveler varies considerably by the
specific location, visit duration, type of activities, type of
accommodations, time of year, and other factors. Consultation with a
travel medicine physician is needed to evaluate individual risk and
recommend appropriate preventive measures such as vaccines.
Diseases are organized into the following six exposure categories
shown in italics and listed in typical descending order of risk.
Note: The sequence of exposure categories listed in individual
country entries may vary according to local conditions.
food or waterborne diseases acquired through eating or drinking on
the local economy:
Hepatitis A - viral disease that interferes with the functioning of
the liver; spread through consumption of food or water contaminated
with fecal matter, principally in areas of poor sanitation; victims
exhibit fever, jaundice, and diarrhea; 15% of victims will
experience prolonged symptoms over 6-9 months; vaccine available.
Hepatitis E - water-borne viral disease that interferes with the
functioning of the liver; most commonly spread through fecal
contamination of drinking water; victims exhibit jaundice, fatigue,
abdominal pain, and dark colored urine.
Typhoid fever - bacterial disease spread through contact with food
or water contaminated by fecal matter or sewage; victims exhibit
sustained high fevers; left untreated, mortality rates can reach 20%.
vectorborne diseases acquired through the bite of an infected
arthropod:
Malaria - caused by single-cell parasitic protozoa Plasmodium;
transmitted to humans via the bite of the female Anopheles mosquito;
parasites multiply in the liver attacking red blood cells resulting
in cycles of fever, chills, and sweats accompanied by anemia; death
due to damage to vital organs and interruption of blood supply to
the brain; endemic in 100, mostly tropical, countries with 90% of
cases and the majority of 1.5-2.5 million estimated annual deaths
occurring in sub-Saharan Africa.
Dengue fever - mosquito-borne (Aedes aegypti) viral disease
associated with urban environments; manifests as sudden onset of
fever and severe headache; occasionally produces shock and
hemorrhage leading to death in 5% of cases.
Yellow fever - mosquito-borne viral disease; severity ranges from
influenza-like symptoms to severe hepatitis and hemorrhagic fever;
occurs only in tropical South America and sub-Saharan Africa, where
most cases are reported; fatality rate is less than 20%.
Japanese Encephalitis - mosquito-borne (Culex tritaeniorhynchus)
viral disease associated with rural areas in Asia; acute
encephalitis can progress to paralysis, coma, and death; fatality
rates 30%.
African Trypanosomiasis - caused by the parasitic protozoa
Trypanosoma; transmitted to humans via the bite of bloodsucking
Tsetse flies; infection leads to malaise and irregular fevers and,
in advanced cases when the parasites invade the central nervous
system, coma and death; endemic in 36 countries of sub-Saharan
Africa; cattle and wild animals act as reservoir hosts for the
parasites.
Cutaneous Leishmaniasis - caused by the parasitic protozoa
leishmania; transmitted to humans via the bite of sandflies; results
in skin lesions that may become chronic; endemic in 88 countries;
90% of cases occur in Iran, Afghanistan, Syria, Saudi Arabia,
Brazil, and Peru; wild and domesticated animals as well as humans
can act as reservoirs of infection.
Plague - bacterial disease transmitted by fleas normally associated
with rats; person-to-person airborne transmission also possible;
recent plague epidemics occurred in areas of Asia, Africa, and South
America associated with rural areas or small towns and villages;
manifests as fever, headache, and painfully swollen lymph nodes;
disease progresses rapidly and without antibiotic treatment leads to
pneumonic form with a death rate in excess of 50%.
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever - tick-borne viral disease;
infection may also result from exposure to infected animal blood or
tissue; geographic distribution includes Africa, Asia, the Middle
East, and Eastern Europe; sudden onset of fever, headache, and
muscle aches followed by hemorrhaging in the bowels, urine, nose,
and gums; mortality rate is approximately 30%.
Rift Valley fever - viral disease affecting domesticated animals and
humans; transmission is by mosquito and other biting insects;
infection may also occur through handling of infected meat or
contact with blood; geographic distribution includes eastern and
southern Africa where cattle and sheep are raised; symptoms are
generally mild with fever and some liver abnormalities, but the
disease may progress to hemorrhagic fever, encephalitis, or ocular
disease; fatality rates are low at about 1% of cases.
Chikungunya - mosquito-borne (Aedes aegypti) viral disease
associated with urban environments, similar to Dengue Fever;
characterized by sudden onset of fever, rash, and severe joint pain
usually lasting 3-7 days, some cases result in persistent arthritis.
water contact diseases acquired through swimming or wading in
freshwater lakes, streams, and rivers:
Leptospirosis - bacterial disease that affects animals and humans;
infection occurs through contact with water, food, or soil
contaminated by animal urine; symptoms include high fever, severe
headache, vomiting, jaundice, and diarrhea; untreated, the disease
can result in kidney damage, liver failure, meningitis, or
respiratory distress; fatality rates are low but left untreated
recovery can take months.
Schistosomiasis - caused by parasitic trematode flatworm
Schistosoma; fresh water snails act as intermediate host and release
larval form of parasite that penetrates the skin of people exposed
to contaminated water; worms mature and reproduce in the blood
vessels, liver, kidneys, and intestines releasing eggs, which become
trapped in tissues triggering an immune response; may manifest as
either urinary or intestinal disease resulting in decreased work or
learning capacity; mortality, while generally low, may occur in
advanced cases usually due to bladder cancer; endemic in 74
developing countries with 80% of infected people living in
sub-Saharan Africa; humans act as the reservoir for this parasite.
aerosolized dust or soil contact disease acquired through inhalation
of aerosols contaminated with rodent urine:
Lassa fever - viral disease carried by rats of the genus Mastomys;
endemic in portions of West Africa; infection occurs through direct
contact with or consumption of food contaminated by rodent urine or
fecal matter containing virus particles; fatality rate can reach 50%
in epidemic outbreaks.
respiratory disease acquired through close contact with an
infectious person:
Meningococcal meningitis - bacterial disease causing an inflammation
of the lining of the brain and spinal cord; one of the most
important bacterial pathogens is Neisseria meningitidis because of
its potential to cause epidemics; symptoms include stiff neck, high
fever, headaches, and vomiting; bacteria are transmitted from person
to person by respiratory droplets and facilitated by close and
prolonged contact resulting from crowded living conditions, often
with a seasonal distribution; death occurs in 5-15% of cases,
typically within 24-48 hours of onset of symptoms; highest burden of
meningococcal disease occurs in the hyperendemic region of
sub-Saharan Africa known as the "Meningitis Belt" which stretches
from Senegal east to Ethiopia.
animal contact disease acquired through direct contact with local
animals:
Rabies - viral disease of mammals usually transmitted through the
bite of an infected animal, most commonly dogs; virus affects the
central nervous system causing brain alteration and death; symptoms
initially are non-specific fever and headache progressing to
neurological symptoms; death occurs within days of the onset of
symptoms.
Manpower available for military service
This entry gives the number of males and females falling in the
military age range for a country (defined as being ages 16-49) and
assumes that every individual is fit to serve.
Manpower fit for military service
This entry gives the number of males and females falling in the
military age range for a country (defined as being ages 16-49) and
who are not otherwise disqualified for health reasons; accounts for
the health situation in the country and provides a more realistic
estimate of the actual number fit to serve.
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually
This entry gives the number of males and females entering the
military manpower pool (i.e., reaching age 16) in any given year and
is a measure of the availability of military-age young adults.
Map references
This entry includes the name of the Factbook reference map on which
a country may be found. Note that boundary representations on these
maps are not necessarily authoritative. The entry on Geographic
coordinates may be helpful in finding some smaller countries.
Maritime claims
This entry includes the following claims, the definitions of which
are excerpted from the United Nations Convention on the Law of the
Sea (UNCLOS), which alone contains the full and definitive
descriptions:
territorial sea - the sovereignty of a coastal state extends beyond
its land territory and internal waters to an adjacent belt of sea,
described as the territorial sea in the UNCLOS (Part II); this
sovereignty extends to the air space over the territorial sea as
well as its underlying seabed and subsoil; every state has the right
to establish the breadth of its territorial sea up to a limit not
exceeding 12 nautical miles; the normal baseline for measuring the
breadth of the territorial sea is the mean low-water line along the
coast as marked on large-scale charts officially recognized by the
coastal state; the UNCLOS describes specific rules for archipelagic
states.
contiguous zone - according to the UNCLOS (Article 33), this is a
zone contiguous to a coastal state's territorial sea, over which it
may exercise the control necessary to: prevent infringement of its
customs, fiscal, immigration, or sanitary laws and regulations
within its territory or territorial sea; punish infringement of the
above laws and regulations committed within its territory or
territorial sea; the contiguous zone may not extend beyond 24
nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the
territorial sea is measured (e.g. the US has claimed a 12-nautical
mile contiguous zone in addition to its 12-nautical mile territorial
sea).
exclusive economic zone (EEZ) - the UNCLOS (Part V) defines the EEZ
as a zone beyond and adjacent to the territorial sea in which a
coastal state has: sovereign rights for the purpose of exploring and
exploiting, conserving and managing the natural resources, whether
living or non-living, of the waters superjacent to the seabed and of
the seabed and its subsoil, and with regard to other activities for
the economic exploitation and exploration of the zone, such as the
production of energy from the water, currents, and winds;
jurisdiction with regard to the establishment and use of artificial
islands, installations, and structures; marine scientific research;
the protection and preservation of the marine environment; the outer
limit of the exclusive economic zone shall not exceed 200 nautical
miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial
sea is measured.
continental shelf - the UNCLOS (Article 76) defines the continental
shelf of a coastal state as comprising the seabed and subsoil of the
submarine areas that extend beyond its territorial sea throughout
the natural prolongation of its land territory to the outer edge of
the continental margin, or to a distance of 200 nautical miles from
the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is
measured where the outer edge of the continental margin does not
extend up to that distance; the continental margin comprises the
submerged prolongation of the landmass of the coastal state, and
consists of the seabed and subsoil of the shelf, the slope and the
rise; wherever the continental margin extends beyond 200 nautical
miles from the baseline, coastal states may extend their claim to a
distance not to exceed 350 nautical miles from the baseline or 100
nautical miles from the 2500 meter isobath; it does not include the
deep ocean floor with its oceanic ridges or the subsoil thereof.
exclusive fishing zone - while this term is not used in the UNCLOS,
some states (e.g., the United Kingdom) have chosen not to claim an
EEZ, but rather to claim jurisdiction over the living resources off
their coast; in such cases, the term exclusive fishing zone is often
used; the breadth of this zone is normally the same as the EEZ or
200 nautical miles.
Market value of publicly traded shares
This entry gives the value of shares issued by publicly traded
companies at a price determined in the national stock markets on the
final day of the period indicated. It is simply the latest price per
share multiplied by the total number of outstanding shares,
cumulated over all companies listed on the particular exchange.
Median age
This entry is the age that divides a population into two numerically
equal groups; that is, half the people are younger than this age and
half are older. It is a single index that summarizes the age
distribution of a population. Currently, the median age ranges from
a low of about 15 in Uganda and Gaza Strip to 40 or more in several
European countries and Japan. See the entry for "Age structure" for
the importance of a young versus an older age structure and, by
implication, a low versus a higher median age.
Merchant marine
Merchant marine may be defined as all ships engaged in the carriage
of goods; or all commercial vessels (as opposed to all nonmilitary
ships), which excludes tugs, fishing vessels, offshore oil rigs,
etc. This entry contains information in four fields - total, ships
by type, foreign-owned, and registered in other countries.
Total includes the number of ships (1,000 GRT or over), total DWT
for those ships, and total GRT for those ships. DWT or dead weight
tonnage is the total weight of cargo, plus bunkers, stores, etc.,
that a ship can carry when immersed to the appropriate load line.
GRT or gross register tonnage is a figure obtained by measuring the
entire sheltered volume of a ship available for cargo and passengers
and converting it to tons on the basis of 100 cubic feet per ton;
there is no stable relationship between GRT and DWT.
Ships by type includes a listing of barge carriers, bulk cargo
ships, cargo ships, chemical tankers, combination bulk carriers,
combination ore/oil carriers, container ships, liquefied gas
tankers, livestock carriers, multifunctional large-load carriers,
petroleum tankers, passenger ships, passenger/cargo ships, railcar
carriers, refrigerated cargo ships, roll-on/roll-off cargo ships,
short-sea passenger ships, specialized tankers, and vehicle carriers.
Foreign-owned are ships that fly the flag of one country but belong
to owners in another.
Registered in other countries are ships that belong to owners in one
country but fly the flag of another.
Military
This category includes the entries dealing with a country's military
structure, manpower, and expenditures.
Military - note
This entry includes miscellaneous military information of
significance not included elsewhere.
Military branches
This entry lists the service branches subordinate to defense
ministries or the equivalent (typically ground, naval, air, and
marine forces).
Military expenditures
This entry gives spending on defense programs for the most recent
year available as a percent of gross domestic product (GDP); the GDP
is calculated on an exchange rate basis, i.e., not in terms of
purchasing power parity (PPP).
Military service age and obligation
This entry gives the required ages for voluntary or conscript
military service and the length of service obligation.
Money figures
All money figures are expressed in contemporaneous US dollars unless
otherwise indicated.
N
National holiday
This entry gives the primary national day of celebration - usually
independence day.
Nationality
This entry provides the identifying terms for citizens - noun and
adjective.
Natural gas - consumption
This entry is the total natural gas consumed in cubic meters (cu m).
The discrepancy between the amount of natural gas produced and/or
imported and the amount consumed and/or exported is due to the
omission of stock changes and other complicating factors.
Natural gas - exports
This entry is the total natural gas exported in cubic meters (cu m).
Natural gas - imports
This entry is the total natural gas imported in cubic meters (cu m).
Natural gas - production
This entry is the total natural gas produced in cubic meters (cu m).
The discrepancy between the amount of natural gas produced and/or
imported and the amount consumed and/or exported is due to the
omission of stock changes and other complicating factors.
Natural gas - proved reserves
This entry is the stock of proved reserves of natural gas in cubic
meters (cu m). Proved reserves are those quantities of natural gas,
which, by analysis of geological and engineering data, can be
estimated with a high degree of confidence to be commercially
recoverable from a given date forward, from known reservoirs and
under current economic conditions.
Natural hazards
This entry lists potential natural disasters.
Natural resources
This entry lists a country's mineral, petroleum, hydropower, and
other resources of commercial importance.
Net migration rate
This entry includes the figure for the difference between the number
of persons entering and leaving a country during the year per 1,000
persons (based on midyear population). An excess of persons entering
the country is referred to as net immigration (e.g., 3.56
migrants/1,000 population); an excess of persons leaving the country
as net emigration (e.g., -9.26 migrants/1,000 population). The net
migration rate indicates the contribution of migration to the
overall level of population change. High levels of migration can
cause problems such as increasing unemployment and potential ethnic
strife (if people are coming in) or a reduction in the labor force,
perhaps in certain key sectors (if people are leaving).
O
Oil - consumption
This entry is the total oil consumed in barrels per day (bbl/day).
The discrepancy between the amount of oil produced and/or imported
and the amount consumed and/or exported is due to the omission of
stock changes, refinery gains, and other complicating factors.
Oil - exports
This entry is the total oil exported in barrels per day (bbl/day),
including both crude oil and oil products.
Oil - imports
This entry is the total oil imported in barrels per day (bbl/day),
including both crude oil and oil products.
Oil - production
This entry is the total oil produced in barrels per day (bbl/day).
The discrepancy between the amount of oil produced and/or imported
and the amount consumed and/or exported is due to the omission of
stock changes, refinery gains, and other complicating factors.
Oil - proved reserves
This entry is the stock of proved reserves of crude oil in barrels
(bbl). Proved reserves are those quantities of petroleum which, by
analysis of geological and engineering data, can be estimated with a
high degree of confidence to be commercially recoverable from a
given date forward, from known reservoirs and under current economic
conditions.
P
People
This category includes the entries dealing with the characteristics
of the people and their society.
People - note
This entry includes miscellaneous demographic information of
significance not included elsewhere.
Personal Names - Capitalization
The Factbook capitalizes the surname or family name of individuals
for the convenience of our users who are faced with a world of
different cultures and naming conventions. The need for
capitalization, bold type, underlining, italics, or some other
indicator of the individual's surname is apparent in the following
examples: MAO Zedong, Fidel CASTRO Ruz, George W. BUSH, and TUNKU
SALAHUDDIN Abdul Aziz Shah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Hisammuddin Alam
Shah. By knowing the surname, a short form without all capital
letters can be used with confidence as in President Castro, Chairman
Mao, President Bush, or Sultan Tunku Salahuddin. The same system of
capitalization is extended to the names of leaders with surnames
that are not commonly used such as Queen ELIZABETH II. For
Vietnamese names, the given name is capitalized because officials
are referred to by their given name rather than by their surname.
For example, the president of Vietnam is Tran Duc LUONG. His surname
is Tran, but he is referred to by his given name - President LUONG.
Personal Names - Spelling
The romanization of personal names in the Factbook normally follows
the same transliteration system used by the US Board on Geographic
Names for spelling place names. At times, however, a foreign leader
expressly indicates a preference for, or the media or official
documents regularly use, a romanized spelling that differs from the
transliteration derived from the US Government standard. In such
cases, the Factbook uses the alternative spelling.
Personal Names - Titles
The Factbook capitalizes any valid title (or short form of it)
immediately preceding a person's name. A title standing alone is not
capitalized. Examples: President PUTIN and President BUSH are chiefs
of state. In Russia, the president is chief of state and the premier
is the head of the government, while in the US, the president is
both chief of state and head of government.
Petroleum
See entries under Oil.
Petroleum products
See entries under Oil.
Pipelines
This entry gives the lengths and types of pipelines for transporting
products like natural gas, crude oil, or petroleum products.
Piracy
Piracy is defined by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law
of the Sea as any illegal act of violence, detention, or depredation
directed against a ship, aircraft, persons, or property in a place
outside the jurisdiction of any State. Such criminal acts committed
in the territorial waters of a littoral state are generally
considered to be armed robbery against ships.
Political parties and leaders
This entry includes a listing of significant political organizations
and their leaders.
Political pressure groups and leaders
This entry includes a listing of a country's political, social,
labor, or religious organizations that are involved in politics, or
that exert political pressure, but whose leaders do not stand for
legislative election. International movements or organizations are
generally not listed.
Population
This entry gives an estimate from the US Bureau of the Census based
on statistics from population censuses, vital statistics
registration systems, or sample surveys pertaining to the recent
past and on assumptions about future trends. The total population
presents one overall measure of the potential impact of the country
on the world and within its region. Note: Starting with the 1993
Factbook, demographic estimates for some countries (mostly African)
have explicitly taken into account the effects of the growing impact
of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. These countries are currently: The
Bahamas, Benin, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi,
Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of
the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gabon,
Ghana, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique,
Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania,
Thailand, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Population growth rate
The average annual percent change in the population, resulting from
a surplus (or deficit) of births over deaths and the balance of
migrants entering and leaving a country. The rate may be positive or
negative. The growth rate is a factor in determining how great a
burden would be imposed on a country by the changing needs of its
people for infrastructure (e.g., schools, hospitals, housing,
roads), resources (e.g., food, water, electricity), and jobs. Rapid
population growth can be seen as threatening by neighboring
countries.
Ports and terminals
This entry lists major ports and terminals primarily on the basis of
the amount of cargo tonnage shipped through the facilities on an
annual basis. In some instances, the number of containers handled or
ship visits were also considered.
Public debt
This entry records the cumulative total of all government borrowings
less repayments that are denominated in a country's home currency.
Public debt should not be confused with external debt, which
reflects the foreign currency liabilities of both the private and
public sector and must be financed out of foreign exchange earnings.
R
Radio broadcast stations
This entry includes the total number of AM, FM, and shortwave
broadcast stations.
Railways
This entry states the total route length of the railway network and
of its component parts by gauge: broad, standard, narrow, and dual.
Other gauges are listed under note.
Reference maps
This section includes world and regional maps.
Refugees and internally displaced persons
This entry includes those persons residing in a country as refugees
or internally displaced persons (IDPs). The definition of a refugee
according to a United Nations Convention is "a person who is outside
his/her country of nationality or habitual residence; has a
well-founded fear of persecution because of his/her race, religion,
nationality, membership in a particular social group or political
opinion; and is unable or unwilling to avail himself/herself of the
protection of that country, or to return there, for fear of
persecution." The UN established the Office of the UN High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in 1950 to handle refugee matters
worldwide. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in
the Near East (UNRWA) has a different operational definition for a
Palestinian refugee: "a person whose normal place of residence was
Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948 and who lost
both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 conflict."
However, UNHCR also assists some 400,000 Palestinian refugees not
covered under the UNRWA definition. The term "internally displaced
person" is not specifically covered in the UN Convention; it is used
to describe people who have fled their homes for reasons similar to
refugees, but who remain within their own national territory and are
subject to the laws of that state.
Religions
This entry is an ordered listing of religions by adherents starting
with the largest group and sometimes includes the percent of total
population. The core characteristics and beliefs of the world's
major religions are described below.
Baha'i - Founded by Mirza Husayn-Ali (known as Baha'u'llah) in Iran
in 1852, Baha'i faith emphasizes monotheism and believes in one
eternal transcendent God. Its guiding focus is to encourage the
unity of all peoples on the earth so that justice and peace may be
achieved on earth. Baha'i revelation contends the prophets of major
world religions reflect some truth or element of the divine,
believes all were manifestations of God given to specific
communities in specific times, and that Baha'u'llah is an additional
prophet meant to call all humankind. Bahais are an open community,
located worldwide, with the greatest concentration of believers in
South Asia.
Buddhism - Religion or philosophy inspired by the 5th century B.C.
teachings of Siddhartha Gautama (also known as Gautama Buddha "the
enlightened one"). Buddhism focuses on the goal of spiritual
enlightenment centered on an understanding of Gautama Buddha's Four
Noble Truths on the nature of suffering, and on the Eightfold Path
of spiritual and moral practice, to break the cycle of suffering of
which we are a part. Buddhism ascribes to a karmic system of
rebirth. Several schools and sects of Buddhism exist, differing
often on the nature of the Buddha, the extent to which enlightenment
can be achieved - for one or for all, and by whom - religious orders
or laity.
Basic Groupings
Theravada Buddhism: The oldest Buddhist school, Theravada is
practiced mostly in Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos, Burma, and Thailand,
with minority representation elsewhere in Asia and the West.
Theravadans follow the Pali Canon of Buddha's teachings, and believe
that one may escape the cycle of rebirth, worldly attachment, and
suffering for oneself; this process may take one or several
lifetimes.
Mahayana Buddhism, including subsets Zen and Tibetan Buddhism:
Forms of Mahayana Buddhism are common in East Asia and Tibet, and
parts of the West. Mahayanas have additional scriptures beyond the
Pali Canon and believe the Buddha is eternal and still teaching.
Unlike Theravada Buddhism, Mahayana schools maintain the
Buddha-nature is present in all beings and all will ultimately
achieve enlightenment.
Christianity - Descending from Judaism, Christianity's central
belief maintains Jesus of Nazareth is the promised messiah of the
Hebrew Scriptures, and that his life, death, and resurrection are
salvific for the world. Christianity is one of the three
monotheistic Abrahamic faiths, along with Islam and Judaism, which
traces its spiritual lineage to Abraham of the Hebrew Scriptures.
Its sacred texts include the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament (or
the Christian Gospels).
Basic Groupings
Catholicism (or Roman Catholicism): This is the oldest
established western Christian church and the world's largest single
religious body. It is supranational, and recognizes a hierarchical
structure with the Pope, or Bishop of Rome, as its head, located at
the Vatican. Catholics believe the Pope is the divinely ordered head
of the Church from a direct spiritual legacy of Jesus' apostle
Peter. Catholicism is comprised of 23 particular Churches, or Rites
- one Western (Latin-Rite) and 22 Eastern. The Latin Rite is by far
the largest, making up about 98% of Catholic membership.
Eastern-Rite Churches, such as the Maronite Church and the Ukrainian
Catholic Church, are in communion with Rome although they preserve
their own worship traditions and their immediate hierarchy consists
of clergy within their own rite. The Catholic Church has a
comprehensive theological and moral doctrine specified for believers
in its catechism, which makes it unique among most forms of
Christianity.
Mormonism (including the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day
Saints): Originating in 1830 in the United States under Joseph
Smith, Mormonism is not characterized as a form of Protestant
Christianity because it claims additional revealed Christian
scriptures after the Hebrew Bible and New Testament. The Book of
Mormon maintains there was an appearance of Jesus in the New World
following the Christian account of his resurrection, and that the
Americas are uniquely blessed continents. Mormonism believes earlier
Christian traditions, such as the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and
Protestant reform faiths, are apostasies and that Joseph Smith's
revelation of the Book of Mormon is a restoration of true
Christianity. Mormons have a hierarchical religious leadership
structure, and actively proselytize their faith; they are located
primarily in the Americas and in a number of other Western countries.
Orthodox Christianity: The oldest established eastern form of
Christianity, the Holy Orthodox Church, has a ceremonial head in the
Bishop of Constantinople (Istanbul), also known as a Patriarch, but
its various regional forms (e.g., Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox,
Serbian Orthodox, Ukrainian Orthodox) are autocephalous (independent
of Constantinople's authority, and have their own Patriarchs).
Orthodox churches are highly nationalist and ethnic. The Orthodox
Christian faith shares many theological tenets with the Roman
Catholic Church, but diverges on some key premises and does not
recognize the governing authority of the Pope.
Protestant Christianity: Protestant Christianity originated in
the 16th century as an attempt to reform Roman Catholicism's
practices, dogma, and theology. It encompasses several forms or
denominations which are extremely varied in structure, beliefs,
relationship to state, clergy, and governance. Many protestant
theologies emphasize the primary role of scripture in their faith,
advocating individual interpretation of Christian texts without the
mediation of a final religious authority such as the Roman Pope. The
oldest Protestant Christianities include Lutheranism, Calvinism
(Presbyterians), and Anglican Christianity (Episcopalians), which
have established liturgies, governing structure, and formal clergy.
Other variants on Protestant Christianity, including Pentecostal
movements and independent churches, may lack one or more of these
elements, and their leadership and beliefs are individualized and
dynamic.
Hinduism - Originating in the Vedic civilization of India (second
and first millennium B.C.), Hinduism is an extremely diverse set of
beliefs and practices with no single founder or religious authority.
Hinduism has many scriptures; the Vedas, the Upanishads, and the
Bhagavad-Gita are among some of the most important. Hindus may
worship one or many deities, usually with prayer rituals within
their own home. The most common figures of devotion are the gods
Vishnu, Shiva, and a mother goddess, Devi. Most Hindus believe the
soul, or atman, is eternal, and goes through a cycle of birth,
death, and rebirth (samsara) determined by one's positive or
negative karma, or the consequences of one's actions. The goal of
religious life is to learn to act so as to finally achieve
liberation (moksha) of one's soul, escaping the rebirth cycle.
Islam - The third of the monotheistic Abrahamic faiths, Islam
originated with the teachings of Muhammad in the 7th century.
Muslims believe Muhammad is the final of all religious prophets
(beginning with Abraham) and that the Qu'ran, which is the Islamic
scripture, was revealed to him by God. Islam derives from the word
submission, and obedience to God is a primary theme in this
religion. In order to live an Islamic life, believers must follow
the five pillars, or tenets, of Islam, which are the testimony of
faith (shahada), daily prayer (salah), giving alms (zakah), fasting
during Ramadan (sawm), and the pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj).
Basic Groupings
The two primary branches of Islam are Sunni and Shia, which split
from each other over a religio-political leadership dispute about
the rightful successor to Muhammad. The Shia believe Muhammad's
cousin and son-in-law, Ali, was the only divinely ordained Imam
(religious leader), while the Sunni maintain the first three caliphs
after Muhammad were also legitimate authorities. In modern Islam,
Sunnis and Shia continue to have different views of acceptable
schools of Islamic jurisprudence, and who is a proper Islamic
religious authority. Islam also has an active mystical branch,
Sufism, with various Sunni and Shia subsets.
Sunni Islam accounts for over 75% of the world's Muslim
population. It recognizes the Abu Bakr as the first caliph after
Muhammad. Sunni has four schools of Islamic doctrine and law -
Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali - which uniquely interpret the
Hadith, or recorded oral traditions of Muhammad. A Sunni Muslim may
elect to follow any one of these schools, as all are considered
equally valid.
Shia Islam represents 10-20% of Muslims worldwide, and its
distinguishing feature is its reverence for Ali as an infallible,
divinely inspired leader, and as the first Imam of the Muslim
community after Muhammad. A majority of Shia are known as
"Twelvers," because they believe that the 11 familial successor
imams after Muhammad culminate in a 12th Imam (al-Mahdi) who is
hidden in the world and will reappear at its end to redeem the
righteous.
Variants
Ismaili faith: A sect of Shia Islam, its adherents are also known
as "Seveners," because they believe that the rightful seventh Imam
in Islamic leadership was Isma'il, the elder son of Imam Jafar
al-Sadiq. Ismaili tradition awaits the return of the seventh Imam as
the Mahdi, or Islamic messianic figure. Ismailis are located in
various parts of the world, particularly South Asia and the Levant.
Alawi faith: Another Shia sect of Islam, the name reflects
followers' devotion to the religious authority of Ali. Alawites are
a closed, secretive religious group who assert they are Shia
Muslims, although outside scholars speculate their beliefs may have
a syncretic mix with other faiths originating in the Middle East.
Alawis live mostly in Syria, Lebanon, and Turkey.
Druze faith: A highly secretive tradition and a closed community
that derives from the Ismaili sect of Islam; its core beliefs are
thought to emphasize a combination of Gnostic principles believing
that the Fatimid caliph, al-Hakin, is the one who embodies the key
aspects of goodness of the universe, which are, the intellect, the
word, the soul, the preceder, and the follower. The Druze have a key
presence in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel.
Jainism - Originating in India, Jain spiritual philosophy believes
in an eternal human soul, the eternal universe, and a principle of
"the own nature of things." It emphasizes compassion for all living
things, seeks liberation of the human soul from reincarnation
through enlightenment, and values personal responsibility due to the
belief in the immediate consequences of one's behavior. Jain
philosophy teaches non-violence and prescribes vegetarianism for
monks and laity alike; its adherents are a highly influential
religious minority in Indian society.
Judaism - One of the first known monotheistic religions, likely
dating to between 2000-1500 B.C., Judaism is the native faith of the
Jewish people, based upon the belief in a covenant of responsibility
between a sole omnipotent creator God and Abraham, the patriarch of
Judaism's Hebrew Bible, or Tanakh. Divine revelation of principles
and prohibitions in the Hebrew Scriptures form the basis of Jewish
law, or halakhah, which is a key component of the faith. While there
are extensive traditions of Jewish halakhic and theological
discourse, there is no final dogmatic authority in the tradition.
Local communities have their own religious leadership. Modern
Judaism has three basic categories of faith: Orthodox, Conservative,
and Reform/Liberal. These differ in their views and observance of
Jewish law, with the Orthodox representing the most traditional
practice, and Reform/Liberal communities the most accommodating of
individualized interpretations of Jewish identity and faith.
Shintoism - A native animist tradition of Japan, Shinto practice is
based upon the premise that every being and object has its own
spirit or kami. Shinto practitioners worship several particular
kamis, including the kamis of nature, and families often have
shrines to their ancestors' kamis. Shintoism has no fixed tradition
of prayers or prescribed dogma, but is characterized by individual
ritual. Respect for the kamis in nature is a key Shinto value. Prior
to the end of World War II, Shinto was the state religion of Japan,
and bolstered the cult of the Japanese emperor.
Sikhism - Founded by the Guru Nanak (born 1469), Sikhism believes in
a non-anthropomorphic, supreme, eternal, creator God; centering
one's devotion to God is seen as a means of escaping the cycle of
rebirth. Sikhs follow the teachings of Nanak and nine subsequent
gurus. Their scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib - also known as the
Adi Granth - is considered the living Guru, or final authority of
Sikh faith and theology. Sikhism emphasizes equality of humankind
and disavows caste, class, or gender discrimination.
Taoism - Chinese philosophy or religion based upon Lao Tzu's Tao Te
Ching, which centers on belief in the Tao, or the way, as the flow
of the universe and the nature of things. Taoism encourages a
principle of non-force, or wu-wei, as the means to live harmoniously
with the Tao. Taoists believe the esoteric world is made up of a
perfect harmonious balance and nature, while in the manifest world -
particularly in the body - balance is distorted. The Three Jewels of
the Tao - compassion, simplicity, and humility - serve as the basis
for Taoist ethics.
Zoroastrianism - Originating from the teachings of Zoroaster in
about the 9th or 10th century B.C., Zoroastrianism may be the oldest
continuing creedal religion. Its key beliefs center on a
transcendent creator God, Ahura Mazda, and the concept of free will.
The key ethical tenets of Zoroastrianism expressed in its scripture,
the Avesta, are based on a dualistic worldview where one may prevent
chaos if one chooses to serve God and exercises good thoughts, good
words, and good deeds. Zoroastrianism is generally a closed religion
and members are almost always born to Zoroastrian parents. Prior to
the spread of Islam, Zoroastrianism dominated greater Iran. Today,
though a minority, Zoroastrians remain primarily in Iran, India, and
Pakistan.
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
This entry gives the dollar value for the stock of all financial
assets that are available to the central monetary authority for use
in meeting a country's balance of payments needs as of the end-date
of the period specified. This category includes not only foreign
currency and gold, but also a country's holdings of Special Drawing
Rights in the International Monetary Fund, and its reserve position
in the Fund.
Roadways
This entry gives the total length of the road network and includes
the length of the paved and unpaved portions.
S
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
School life expectancy (SLE) is the total number of years of
schooling (primary to tertiary) that a child can expect to receive,
assuming that the probability of his or her being enrolled in school
at any particular future age is equal to the current enrollment
ratio at that age. Caution must be maintained when utilizing this
indicator in international comparisons. For example, a year or grade
completed in one country is not necessarily the same in terms of
educational content or quality as a year or grade completed in
another country. SLE represents the expected number of years of
schooling that will be completed, including years spent repeating
one or more grades.
Sex ratio
This entry includes the number of males for each female in five age
groups - at birth, under 15 years, 15-64 years, 65 years and over,
and for the total population. Sex ratio at birth has recently
emerged as an indicator of certain kinds of sex discrimination in
some countries. For instance, high sex ratios at birth in some Asian
countries are now attributed to sex-selective abortion and
infanticide due to a strong preference for sons. This will affect
future marriage patterns and fertility patterns. Eventually, it
could cause unrest among young adult males who are unable to find
partners.
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad
This entry gives the cumulative US dollar value of all investments
in foreign countries made directly by residents - primarily
companies - of the home country, as of the end of the time period
indicated. Direct investment excludes investment through purchase of
shares.
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home
This entry gives the cumulative US dollar value of all investments
in the home country made directly by residents - primarily companies
- of other countries as of the end of the time period indicated.
Direct investment excludes investment through purchase of shares.
Stock of domestic credit
This entry is the total quantity of credit, denominated in the
domestic currency, provided by banks to nonbanking institutions. The
national currency units have been converted to US dollars at the
closing exchange rate on the date of the information.
Stock of money
This entry, also known as "M1," comprises the total quantity of
currency in circulation (notes and coins) plus demand deposits
denominated in the national currency, held by nonbank financial
institutions, state and local governments, nonfinancial public
enterprises, and the private sector of the economy. The national
currency units have been converted to US dollars at the closing
exchange rate on the date of the information.
Stock of quasi money
This entry comprises the total quantity of time and savings deposits
denominated in the national currency, held by nonbank financial
institutions, state and local governments, nonfinancial public
enterprises, and the private sector of the economy. When added
together with "M1" the total money supply is known as "M2." The
national currency units have been converted to US dollars at the
closing exchange rate on the date of the information.
Suffrage
This entry gives the age at enfranchisement and whether the right to
vote is universal or restricted.
T
Telephone numbers
All telephone numbers in The World Factbook consist of the country
code in brackets, the city or area code (where required) in
parentheses, and the local number. The one component that is not
presented is the international access code, which varies from
country to country. For example, an international direct dial
telephone call placed from the US to Madrid, Spain, would be as
follows: 011 [34] (1) 577-xxxx, where 011 is the international
access code for station-to-station calls; 01 is for calls other than
station-to-station calls, [34] is the country code for Spain, (1) is
the city code for Madrid, 577 is the local exchange, and xxxx is the
local telephone number. An international direct dial telephone call
placed from another country to the US would be as follows:
international access code + [1] (202) 939-xxxx, where [ 1] is the
country code for the US, (202) is the area code for Washington, DC,
939 is the local exchange, and xxxx is the local telephone number.
Telephone system
This entry includes a brief general assessment of the system with
details on the domestic and international components. The following
terms and abbreviations are used throughout the entry:
Arabsat - Arab Satellite Communications Organization (Riyadh, Saudi
Arabia).
Autodin - Automatic Digital Network (US Department of Defense).
CB - citizen's band mobile radio communications.
Cellular telephone system - the telephones in this system are radio
transceivers, with each instrument having its own private radio
frequency and sufficient radiated power to reach the booster station
in its area (cell), from which the telephone signal is fed to a
telephone exchange.
Central American Microwave System - a trunk microwave radio relay
system that links the countries of Central America and Mexico with
each other.
Coaxial cable - a multichannel communication cable consisting of a
central conducting wire, surrounded by and insulated from a
cylindrical conducting shell; a large number of telephone channels
can be made available within the insulated space by the use of a
large number of carrier frequencies.
Comsat - Communications Satellite Corporation (US).
DSN - Defense Switched Network (formerly Automatic Voice Network or
Autovon); basic general-purpose, switched voice network of the
Defense Communications System (US Department of Defense).
Eutelsat - European Telecommunications Satellite Organization
(Paris).
Fiber-optic cable - a multichannel communications cable using a
thread of optical glass fibers as a transmission medium in which the
signal (voice, video, etc.) is in the form of a coded pulse of light.
GSM - a global system for mobile (cellular) communications devised
by the Groupe Special Mobile of the pan-European standardization
organization, Conference Europeanne des Posts et Telecommunications
(CEPT) in 1982.
HF - high frequency; any radio frequency in the 3,000- to 30,000-kHz
range.
Inmarsat - International Maritime Satellite Organization (London);
provider of global mobile satellite communications for commercial,
distress, and safety applications at sea, in the air, and on land.
Intelsat - International Telecommunications Satellite Organization
(Washington, DC).
Intersputnik - International Organization of Space Communications
(Moscow); first established in the former Soviet Union and the East
European countries, it is now marketing its services worldwide with
earth stations in North America, Africa, and East Asia.
Landline - communication wire or cable of any sort that is installed
on poles or buried in the ground.
Marecs - Maritime European Communications Satellite used in the
Inmarsat system on lease from the European Space Agency.
Marisat - satellites of the Comsat Corporation that participate in
the Inmarsat system.
Medarabtel - the Middle East Telecommunications Project of the
International Telecommunications Union (ITU) providing a modern
telecommunications network, primarily by microwave radio relay,
linking Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Libya, Morocco, Saudi
Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, and Yemen; it was initially
started in Morocco in 1970 by the Arab Telecommunications Union
(ATU) and was known at that time as the Middle East Mediterranean
Telecommunications Network.
Microwave radio relay - transmission of long distance telephone
calls and television programs by highly directional radio microwaves
that are received and sent on from one booster station to another on
an optical path.
NMT - Nordic Mobile Telephone; an analog cellular telephone system
that was developed jointly by the national telecommunications
authorities of the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland,
Norway, and Sweden).
Orbita - a Russian television service; also the trade name of a
packet-switched digital telephone network.
Radiotelephone communications - the two-way transmission and
reception of sounds by broadcast radio on authorized frequencies
using telephone handsets.
PanAmSat - PanAmSat Corporation (Greenwich, CT).
SAFE - South African Far East Cable
Satellite communication system - a communication system consisting
of two or more earth stations and at least one satellite that
provide long distance transmission of voice, data, and television;
the system usually serves as a trunk connection between telephone
exchanges; if the earth stations are in the same country, it is a
domestic system.
Satellite earth station - a communications facility with a microwave
radio transmitting and receiving antenna and required receiving and
transmitting equipment for communicating with satellites.
Satellite link - a radio connection between a satellite and an earth
station permitting communication between them, either one-way (down
link from satellite to earth station - television receive-only
transmission) or two-way (telephone channels).
SHF - super high frequency; any radio frequency in the 3,000- to
30,000-MHz range.
Shortwave - radio frequencies (from 1.605 to 30 MHz) that fall above
the commercial broadcast band and are used for communication over
long distances.
Solidaridad - geosynchronous satellites in Mexico's system of
international telecommunications in the Western Hemisphere.
Statsionar - Russia's geostationary system for satellite
telecommunications.
Submarine cable - a cable designed for service under water.
TAT - Trans-Atlantic Telephone; any of a number of high-capacity
submarine coaxial telephone cables linking Europe with North America.
Telefax - facsimile service between subscriber stations via the
public switched telephone network or the international Datel network.
Telegraph - a telecommunications system designed for unmodulated
electric impulse transmission.
Telex - a communication service involving teletypewriters connected
by wire through automatic exchanges.
Tropospheric scatter - a form of microwave radio transmission in
which the troposphere is used to scatter and reflect a fraction of
the incident radio waves back to earth; powerful, highly directional
antennas are used to transmit and receive the microwave signals;
reliable over-the-horizon communications are realized for distances
up to 600 miles in a single hop; additional hops can extend the
range of this system for very long distances.
Trunk network - a network of switching centers, connected by
multichannel trunk lines.
UHF - ultra high frequency; any radio frequency in the 300- to
3,000-MHz range.
VHF - very high frequency; any radio frequency in the 30- to 300-MHz
range.
Telephones - main lines in use
This entry gives the total number of main telephone lines in use.
Telephones - mobile cellular
This entry gives the total number of mobile cellular telephone
subscribers.
Television broadcast stations
This entry gives the total number of separate broadcast stations
plus any repeater stations.
Terminology
Due to the highly structured nature of the Factbook database, some
collective generic terms have to be used. For example, the word
Country in the Country name entry refers to a wide variety of
dependencies, areas of special sovereignty, uninhabited islands, and
other entities in addition to the traditional countries or
independent states. Military is also used as an umbrella term for
various civil defense, security, and defense activities in many
entries. The Independence entry includes the usual colonial
independence dates and former ruling states as well as other
significant nationhood dates such as the traditional founding date
or the date of unification, federation, confederation,
establishment, or state succession that are not strictly
independence dates. Dependent areas have the nature of their
dependency status noted in this same entry.
Terrain
This entry contains a brief description of the topography.
Time difference
This entry is expressed in The World Factbook in two ways. First, it
is stated as the difference in hours between the capital of an
entity and Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) during Standard Time.
Additionally, the difference in time between the capital of an
entity and that observed in Washington, D.C. is also provided. Note
that the time difference assumes both locations are simultaneously
observing Standard Time or Daylight Saving Time.
Time zones
Ten countries (Australia, Brazil, Canada, Indonesia, Kazakhstan,
Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, Spain, and the United States) and the
island of Greenland observe more than one official time depending on
the number of designated time zones within their boundaries. An
illustration of time zones throughout the world and within countries
can be seen in the Standard Time Zones of the World map included in
the Reference Maps section of The World Factbook.
Total fertility rate
This entry gives a figure for the average number of children that
would be born per woman if all women lived to the end of their
childbearing years and bore children according to a given fertility
rate at each age. The total fertility rate (TFR) is a more direct
measure of the level of fertility than the crude birth rate, since
it refers to births per woman. This indicator shows the potential
for population change in the country. A rate of two children per
woman is considered the replacement rate for a population, resulting
in relative stability in terms of total numbers. Rates above two
children indicate populations growing in size and whose median age
is declining. Higher rates may also indicate difficulties for
families, in some situations, to feed and educate their children and
for women to enter the labor force. Rates below two children
indicate populations decreasing in size and growing older. Global
fertility rates are in general decline and this trend is most
pronounced in industrialized countries, especially Western Europe,
where populations are projected to decline dramatically over the
next 50 years.
Total renewable water resources
This entry provides the long-term average water availability for a
country in cubic kilometers of precipitation, recharged ground
water, and surface inflows from surrounding countries. The values
have been adjusted to account for overlap resulting from surface
flow recharge of groundwater sources. Total renewable water
resources provides the water total available to a country but does
not include water resource totals that have been reserved for
upstream or downstream countries through international agreements.
Note that these values are averages and do not accurately reflect
the total available in any given year. Annual available resources
can vary greatly due to short-term and long-term climatic and
weather variations.
Trafficking in persons
Trafficking in persons is modern-day slavery, involving victims who
are forced, defrauded, or coerced into labor or sexual exploitation.
The International Labor Organization (ILO), the UN agency charged
with addressing labor standards, employment, and social protection
issues, estimates that 12.3 million people worldwide are enslaved in
forced labor, bonded labor, forced child labor, sexual servitude,
and involuntary servitude at any given time. Human trafficking is a
multi-dimensional threat, depriving people of their human rights and
freedoms, risking global health, promoting social breakdown,
inhibiting development by depriving countries of their human
capital, and helping fuel the growth of organized crime. In 2000,
the US Congress passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act
(TVPA), reauthorized in 2003 and 2005, which provides tools for the
US to combat trafficking in persons, both domestically and abroad.
One of the law's key components is the creation of the US Department
of State's annual Trafficking in Persons Report, which assesses the
government response (i.e., the current situation) in some 150
countries with a significant number of victims trafficked across
their borders who are recruited, harbored, transported, provided, or
obtained for forced labor or sexual exploitation. Countries in the
annual report are rated in three tiers, based on government efforts
to combat trafficking. The countries identified in this entry are
those listed in the 2008 Trafficking in Persons Report as Tier 2
Watch List or Tier 3 based on the following tier rating definitions:
Tier 2 Watch List countries do not fully comply with the minimum
standards for the elimination of trafficking but are making
significant efforts to do so, and meet one of the following criteria:
1. they display high or significantly increasing number of victims,
2. they have failed to provide evidence of increasing efforts to
combat trafficking in persons, or,
3. they have committed to take action over the next year.
Tier 3 countries neither satisfy the minimum standards for the
elimination of trafficking nor demonstrate a significant effort to
do so. Countries in this tier are subject to potential
non-humanitarian and non-trade sanctions.
Transnational issues
This category includes four entries - Disputes - international,
Refugees and internally displaced persons, Trafficking in persons,
and Illicit drugs - that deal with current issues going beyond
national boundaries.
Transportation
This category includes the entries dealing with the means for
movement of people and goods.
Transportation - note
This entry includes miscellaneous transportation information of
significance not included elsewhere.
U
UTC (Coordinated Universal Time)
See entry for Coordinated Universal Time.
Unemployment rate
This entry contains the percent of the labor force that is without
jobs. Substantial underemployment might be noted.
Urbanization
This entry provides two measures of the degree of urbanization of a
population. The first, urban population, describes the percentage of
the total population living in urban areas, as defined by the
country. The second, rate of urbanization, describes the projected
average rate of change of the size of the urban population over the
given period of time. Additionally, the World entry includes a list
of the ten largest urban agglomerations. An urban agglomeration is
defined as comprising the city or town proper and also the suburban
fringe or thickly settled territory lying outside of, but adjacent
to, the boundaries of the city.
W
Waterways
This entry gives the total length of navigable rivers, canals, and
other inland bodies of water.
Weights and Measures
This information is presented in This information is presented in <a
href = "../appendix/appendix-g.html"Appendix G: Weights and Measures
and includes mathematical notations (mathematical powers and names),
metric interrelationships (prefix; symbol; length, weight, or
capacity; area; volume), and standard conversion factors.
Y
Years
All year references are for the calendar year (CY) unless indicated
as fiscal year (FY). The calendar year is an accounting period of 12
months from 1 January to 31 December. The fiscal year is an
accounting period of 12 months other than 1 January to 31 December.
Note: Information for the US and US dependencies was complied from
material in the public domain and does not represent Intelligence
Community estimates.
======================================================================
CIA - The World Factbook -- About :: History
A Brief History of Basic Intelligence and The World Factbook
The Intelligence Cycle is the process by which information is
acquired, converted into intelligence, and made available to
policymakers. Information is raw data from any source, data that may
be fragmentary, contradictory, unreliable, ambiguous, deceptive, or
wrong. Intelligence is information that has been collected,
integrated, evaluated, analyzed, and interpreted. Finished
intelligence is the final product of the Intelligence Cycle ready to
be delivered to the policymaker.
The three types of finished intelligence are: basic, current, and
estimative. Basic intelligence provides the fundamental and factual
reference material on a country or issue. Current intelligence
reports on new developments. Estimative intelligence judges probable
outcomes. The three are mutually supportive: basic intelligence is
the foundation on which the other two are constructed; current
intelligence continually updates the inventory of knowledge; and
estimative intelligence revises overall interpretations of country
and issue prospects for guidance of basic and current intelligence.
The World Factbook, The President's Daily Brief, and the National
Intelligence Estimates are examples of the three types of finished
intelligence.
The United States has carried on foreign intelligence activities
since the days of George Washington but only since World War II have
they been coordinated on a government-wide basis. Three programs
have highlighted the development of coordinated basic intelligence
since that time: (1) the Joint Army Navy Intelligence Studies
(JANIS), (2) the National Intelligence Survey (NIS), and (3)The
World Factbook .
During World War II, intelligence consumers realized that the
production of basic intelligence by different components of the US
Government resulted in a great duplication of effort and conflicting
information. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 brought
home to leaders in Congress and the executive branch the need for
integrating departmental reports to national policymakers. Detailed
and coordinated information was needed not only on such major powers
as Germany and Japan, but also on places of little previous
interest. In the Pacific Theater, for example, the Navy and Marines
had to launch amphibious operations against many islands about which
information was unconfirmed or nonexistent. Intelligence authorities
resolved that the United States should never again be caught
unprepared.
In 1943, Gen. George B. Strong (G-2), Adm. H. C. Train (Office of
Naval Intelligence - ONI), and Gen. William J. Donovan (Director of
the Office of Strategic Services - OSS) decided that a joint effort
should be initiated. A steering committee was appointed on 27 April
1943 that recommended the formation of a Joint Intelligence Study
Publishing Board to assemble, edit, coordinate, and publish the
Joint Army Navy Intelligence Studies (JANIS). JANIS was the first
interdepartmental basic intelligence program to fulfill the needs of
the US Government for an authoritative and coordinated appraisal of
strategic basic intelligence. Between April 1943 and July 1947, the
board published 34 JANIS studies. JANIS performed well in the war
effort, and numerous letters of commendation were received,
including a statement from Adm. Forrest Sherman, Chief of Staff,
Pacific Ocean Areas, which said, "JANIS has become the indispensable
reference work for the shore-based planners."
The need for more comprehensive basic intelligence in the postwar
world was well expressed in 1946 by George S. Pettee, a noted author
on national security. He wrote in The Future of American Secret
Intelligence (Infantry Journal Press, 1946, page 46) that world
leadership in peace requires even more elaborate intelligence than
in war. "The conduct of peace involves all countries, all human
activities - not just the enemy and his war production."
The Central Intelligence Agency was established on 26 July 1947 and
officially began operating on 18 September 1947. Effective 1 October
1947, the Director of Central Intelligence assumed operational
responsibility for JANIS. On 13 January 1948, the National Security
Council issued Intelligence Directive (NSCID) No. 3, which
authorized the National Intelligence Survey (NIS) program as a
peacetime replacement for the wartime JANIS program. Before adequate
NIS country sections could be produced, government agencies had to
develop more comprehensive gazetteers and better maps. The US Board
on Geographic Names (BGN) compiled the names; the Department of the
Interior produced the gazetteers; and CIA produced the maps.
The Hoover Commission's Clark Committee, set up in 1954 to study the
structure and administration of the CIA, reported to Congress in
1955 that: "The National Intelligence Survey is an invaluable
publication which provides the essential elements of basic
intelligence on all areas of the world. There will always be a
continuing requirement for keeping the Survey up-to-date." The
Factbook was created as an annual summary and update to the
encyclopedic NIS studies. The first classified Factbook was
published in August 1962, and the first unclassified version was
published in June 1971. The NIS program was terminated in 1973
except for the Factbook, map, and gazetteer components. The 1975
Factbook was the first to be made available to the public with sales
through the US Government Printing Office (GPO). The Factbook was
first made available on the Internet in June 1997. The year 2009
marks the 62nd anniversary of the establishment of the Central
Intelligence Agency and the 66th year of continuous basic
intelligence support to the US Government by The World Factbook and
its two predecessor programs.
The Evolution of The World Factbook
National Basic Intelligence Factbook produced semiannually until
1980. Country entries include sections on Land, Water, People,
Government, Economy, Communications, and Defense Forces.
1981
Publication becomes an annual product and is renamed The World
Factbook. A total of 165 nations are covered on 225 pages.
1983
Appendices (Conversion Factors, International Organizations) first
introduced.
1984
Appendices expanded; now include: A. The United Nations, B. Selected
United Nations Organizations, C. Selected International
Organizations, D. Country Membership in Selected Organizations, E.
Conversion Factors.
1987
A new Geography section replaces the former separate Land and Water
sections. UN Organizations and Selected International Organizations
appendices merged into a new International Organizations appendix.
First multi-color-cover Factbook.
1988
More than 40 new geographic entities added to provide complete world
coverage without overlap or omission. Among the new entities are
Antarctica, oceans (Arctic, Atlantic, Indian, Pacific), and the
World. The front-of-the-book explanatory introduction expanded and
retitled to Notes, Definitions, and Abbreviations. Two new
Appendices added: Weights and Measures (in place of Conversion
Factors) and a Cross-Reference List of Geographic Names. Factbook
size reaches 300 pages.
1989
Economy section completely revised and now includes an Overview
briefly describing a country's economy. New entries added under
People, Government, and Communications.
1990
The Government section revised and considerably expanded with new
entries.
1991
A new International Organizations and Groups appendix added.
Factbook size reaches 405 pages.
1992
Twenty new successor state entries replace those of the Soviet Union
and Yugoslavia. New countries are respectively: Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia,
Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine,
Uzbekistan; and Bosnia and Hercegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia
and Montenegro, Slovenia. Number of nations in the Factbook rises to
188.
1993
Czechoslovakia's split necessitates new Czech Republic and Slovakia
entries. New Eritrea entry added after it secedes from Ethiopia.
Substantial enhancements made to Geography section.
1994
Two new appendices address Selected International Environmental
Agreements. The gross domestic product (GDP) of most developing
countries changed to a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis rather
than an exchange rate basis. Factbook size up to 512 pages.
1995
The GDP of all countries now presented on a PPP basis. New appendix
lists estimates of GDP on an exchange rate basis. Communications
category split; Railroads, Highways, Inland waterways, Pipelines,
Merchant marine, and Airports entries now make up a new
Transportation category. The World Factbook is first produced on
CD-ROM.
1996
Maps accompanying each entry now present more detail. Flags also
introduced for nearly all entities. Various new entries appear under
Geography and Communications. Factbook abbreviations consolidated
into a new Appendix A. Two new appendices present a Cross-Reference
List of Country Data Codes and a Cross-Reference List of
Hydrogeographic Data Codes. Geographic coordinates added to Appendix
H, Cross-Reference List of Geographic Names. Factbook size expands
by 95 pages in one year to reach 652.
1997
A special edition for the CIA's 50 th anniversary. A schema or Guide
to Country Profiles introduced. New color maps and flags now
accompany each country profile. Category headings distinguished by
shaded backgrounds. Number of categories expanded to nine -- the
current number -- with the addition of an Introduction (for only a
few countries) and Transnational Issues (which includes
Disputes-international and Illicit drugs). The World Factbook
introduced onto the Internet.
1998
The Introduction category with two entries, Current issues and
Historical perspective, expanded to more countries. Last year for
the production of CD-ROM versions of the Factbook.
1999
Historical perspective and Current issues entries in the
Introduction category combined into a new Background statement.
Several new Economy entries introduced. A new physical map of the
world added to the back-of-the-book reference maps.
2000
A new "country profile" added on the Southern Ocean. The Background
statements dramatically expanded to over 200 countries and
possessions. A number of new Communications entries added.
2001
Background entries completed for all 267 entities in the Factbook.
Several new HIV/AIDS entries introduced under the People category.
Revision begun on individual country maps to include elevation
extremes and a partial geographic grid. Weights and Measures
appendix deleted.
2002
New entry on Distribution of Family income -- Gini index added.
Revision of individual country maps continued (process still
ongoing).
2003
In the Economy category, petroleum entries added for oil production,
consumption, exports, imports, and proved reserves, as well as
natural gas proved reserves.
2004
Additional petroleum entries included for natural gas production,
consumption, exports, and imports. In the Transportation category,
under Merchant marine, subfields added for foreign-owned vessels and
those registered in other countries. Descriptions of the many forms
of government mentioned in the Factbook incorporated into the
Definitions and Notes.
2005
In the People category, a Major infectious diseases field added for
countries deemed to pose a higher risk for travelers. In the Economy
category, entries included for Current account balance, Investment,
Public debt, and Reserves of foreign exchange and gold. The
Transnational issues category expanded to include Refugees and
internally displaced persons. Category headings receive distinctive
colored backgrounds. These distinguishing colors are used in both
the printed and online versions of the Factbook. Size of the printed
Factbook reaches 702 pages.
2006
In the Economy category, national GDP figures now presented at
Official Exchange Rates (OER) in addition to GDP at purchasing power
parity (PPP). Entries in the Transportation section reordered;
Highways changed to Roadways, and Ports and harbors to Ports and
terminals.
2007
In the Government category, the Capital entry significantly expanded
with up to four subfields, including new information having to do
with time. The subfields consist of the name of the capital itself,
its geographic coordinates, the time difference at the capital from
coordinated universal time (UTC), and, if applicable, information on
daylight saving time (DST). Where appropriate, a special note is
added to highlight those countries with multiple time zones. A
Trafficking in persons entry added to the Transnational issues
category. A new appendix, Weights and Measures, (re)introduced to
the online version of the Factbook.
2008
In the Geography category, two fields focus on the increasingly
vital resource of water: Total renewable water resources and
Freshwater withdrawal. In the Economy category, three fields added
for: Stock of direct foreign investment - at home, Stock of direct
foreign investment - abroad, and Market value of publicly traded
shares. Concise descriptions of the major religions mentioned in the
Factbook included in the Definitions and Notes. Printing of the
Factbook turned over to the Government Printing Office.
2009
In the People category, two new fields provide information on
education in terms of opportunity and resources: School Life
Expectancy and Education expenditures. Additionally, the
Urbanization entry expanded to include all countries. In the Economy
category, five fields added: Central bank discount rate, Commercial
bank prime lending rate, Stock of money, Stock of quasi money, and
Stock of domestic credit. The online Factbook site completely
redesigned with many new features.
======================================================================
About :: Copyright and Contributors
The World Factbook is prepared by the Central Intelligence Agency for
the use of US Government officials, and the style, format, coverage,
and content are designed to meet their specific requirements.
Information is provided by Antarctic Information Program (National
Science Foundation), Armed Forces Medical Intelligence Center
(Department of Defense), Bureau of the Census (Department of
Commerce), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Department of Labor), Central
Intelligence Agency, Council of Managers of National Antarctic
Programs, Defense Intelligence Agency (Department of Defense),
Department of Energy, Department of State, Fish and Wildlife Service
(Department of the Interior), Maritime Administration (Department
of Transportation), National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
(Department of Defense), Naval Facilities Engineering Command
(Department of Defense), Office of Insular Affairs (Department of
the Interior), Office of Naval Intelligence (Department of Defense),
US Board on Geographic Names (Department of the Interior), US
Transportation Command (Department of Defense), Oil & Gas Journal,
and other public and private sources.
The Factbook is in the public domain. Accordingly, it may be copied
freely without permission of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
The official seal of the CIA, however, may NOT be copied without
permission as required by the CIA Act of 1949 (50 U.S.C. section
403m). Misuse of the official seal of the CIA could result in civil
and criminal penalties.
Citation model:
The World Factbook 2009. Washington, DC: Central Intelligence Agency,
2009.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html
Comments and queries are welcome and may be addressed to:
Central Intelligence Agency
Attn: Office of Public Affairs
Washington, DC 20505
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM Eastern Standard Time
Telephone: [1] (703) 482-0623
FAX: [1] (703) 482-1739
======================================================================
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Original Data Rounded to whole integer
Example 1 43.2 43
30.4 30
26.4 26
---- --
100.0 99
Example 2 42.8 43
31.6 32
25.6 26
---- --
100.0 101
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======================================================================
@Afghanistan (South Asia)
Introduction ::Afghanistan
Background:
Ahmad Shah DURRANI unified the Pashtun tribes and founded
Afghanistan in 1747. The country served as a buffer between the
British and Russian empires until it won independence from notional
British control in 1919. A brief experiment in democracy ended in a
1973 coup and a 1978 Communist counter-coup. The Soviet Union
invaded in 1979 to support the tottering Afghan Communist regime,
touching off a long and destructive war. The USSR withdrew in 1989
under relentless pressure by internationally supported
anti-Communist mujahedin rebels. A series of subsequent civil wars
saw Kabul finally fall in 1996 to the Taliban, a hardline
Pakistani-sponsored movement that emerged in 1994 to end the
country's civil war and anarchy. Following the 11 September 2001
terrorist attacks in New York City, a US, Allied, and anti-Taliban
Northern Alliance military action toppled the Taliban for sheltering
Osama BIN LADIN. The UN-sponsored Bonn Conference in 2001
established a process for political reconstruction that included the
adoption of a new constitution, a presidential election in 2004, and
National Assembly elections in 2005. In December 2004, Hamid KARZAI
became the first democratically elected president of Afghanistan and
the National Assembly was inaugurated the following December.
Despite gains toward building a stable central government, a
resurgent Taliban and continuing provincial instability -
particularly in the south and the east - remain serious challenges
for the Afghan Government.
Geography ::Afghanistan
Location:
Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran
Geographic coordinates:
33 00 N, 65 00 E
Map references:
Asia
Area:
total: 652,230 sq km
country comparison to the world: 41
land: 652,230 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries:
total: 5,529 km
border countries: China 76 km, Iran 936 km, Pakistan 2,430 km,
Tajikistan 1,206 km, Turkmenistan 744 km, Uzbekistan 137 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers
Terrain:
mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Amu Darya 258 m
highest point: Nowshak 7,485 m
Natural resources:
natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites,
sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones
Land use:
arable land: 12.13%
permanent crops: 0.21%
other: 87.66% (2005)
Irrigated land:
27,200 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
65 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 23.26 cu km/yr (2%/0%/98%)
per capita: 779 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding;
droughts
Environment - current issues:
limited natural fresh water resources; inadequate supplies of
potable water; soil degradation; overgrazing; deforestation (much of
the remaining forests are being cut down for fuel and building
materials); desertification; air and water pollution
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer
Protection
signed, but not ratified: Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
Life Conservation
Geography - note:
landlocked; the Hindu Kush mountains that run northeast to southwest
divide the northern provinces from the rest of the country; the
highest peaks are in the northern Vakhan (Wakhan Corridor)
People ::Afghanistan
Population:
28.396 million (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 43
note: this is a significantly revised figure; the previous estimate
of 33,609,937 was extrapolated from the last Afghan census held in
1979, which was never completed because of the Soviet invasion; a
new Afghan census is scheduled to take place in 2010
Age structure:
0-14 years: 44.5% (male 7,664,670/female 7,300,446)
15-64 years: 53% (male 9,147,846/female 8,679,800)
65 years and over: 2.4% (male 394,572/female 422,603) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 17.6 years
male: 17.6 years
female: 17.6 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.629% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 28
Birth rate:
45.46 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 4
Death rate:
19.18 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 8
Net migration rate:
21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 2
Urbanization:
urban population: 24% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 5.4% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.93 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 151.95 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 3
male: 156.01 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 147.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 44.64 years
country comparison to the world: 214
male: 44.47 years
female: 44.81 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.53 children born/woman (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 4
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.01% (2001 est.)
country comparison to the world: 168
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria
animal contact disease: rabies
note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in
this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases
possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Afghan(s)
adjective: Afghan
Ethnic groups:
Pashtun 42%, Tajik 27%, Hazara 9%, Uzbek 9%, Aimak 4%, Turkmen 3%,
Baloch 2%, other 4%
Religions:
Sunni Muslim 80%, Shia Muslim 19%, other 1%
Languages:
Afghan Persian or Dari (official) 50%, Pashto (official) 35%, Turkic
languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages
(primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4%, much bilingualism
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 28.1%
male: 43.1%
female: 12.6% (2000 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 8 years
male: 11 years
female: 4 years (2004)
Education expenditures:
NA
Government ::Afghanistan
Country name:
conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
conventional short form: Afghanistan
local long form: Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Afghanestan
local short form: Afghanestan
former: Republic of Afghanistan
Government type:
Islamic republic
Capital:
name: Kabul
geographic coordinates: 34 31 N, 69 11 E
time difference: UTC+4.5 (9.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
34 provinces (welayat, singular - welayat); Badakhshan, Badghis,
Baghlan, Balkh, Bamyan, Daykundi, Farah, Faryab, Ghazni, Ghor,
Helmand, Herat, Jowzjan, Kabul, Kandahar, Kapisa, Khost, Kunar,
Kunduz, Laghman, Logar, Nangarhar, Nimroz, Nuristan, Paktika,
Paktiya, Panjshir, Parwan, Samangan, Sar-e Pul, Takhar, Uruzgan,
Wardak, Zabul
Independence:
19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 19 August (1919)
Constitution:
new constitution drafted 14 December 2003-4 January 2004; signed 16
January 2004; ratified 26 January 2004
Legal system:
based on mixed civil and Sharia law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Hamid KARZAI (since 7 December 2004); First Vice President Ahmad Zia
MASOOD; Second Vice President Abdul Karim KHALILI (since 7 December
2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government; former King ZAHIR Shah held the honorific, "Father of
the Country," and presided symbolically over certain occasions but
lacked any governing authority; the honorific is not hereditary;
King ZAHIR Shah died on 23 July 2007
head of government: President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Hamid KARZAI (since 7 December 2004); First Vice President Ahmad Zia
MASOOD; Second Vice President Abdul Karim KHALILI (since 7 December
2004)
cabinet: 25 ministers; note - under the new constitution, ministers
are appointed by the president and approved by the National Assembly
elections: the president and two vice presidents are elected by
direct vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); if no
candidate receives 50% or more of the vote in the first round of
voting, the two candidates with the most votes will participate in a
second round; a president can only be elected for two terms;
election last held 20 August 2009 (next to be held in 2014)
election results: Hamid KARZAI reelected president; percent of vote
- Hamid KARZAI 54.6%, Abdullah ABDULLAH 27.8%, Ramazan BASHARDOST
9.2%, Ashraf GHANI 2.7% (as reported by the Independent Election
Commission of Afghanistan on 16 September 2009)
note: on 2 November 2009, following the cancellation of the planned
7 November election runoff, the UN-backed Electoral Complaints
Commission officially declared Hamid KARZAI the winner of the 20
August presidential election
Legislative branch:
the bicameral National Assembly consists of the Meshrano Jirga or
House of Elders (102 seats, one-third elected from provincial
councils for four-year terms, one-third elected from local district
councils for three-year terms, and one-third nominated by the
president for five-year terms) and the Wolesi Jirga or House of
People (no more than 249 seats), directly elected for five-year terms
note: on rare occasions the government may convene a Loya Jirga
(Grand Council) on issues of independence, national sovereignty, and
territorial integrity; it can amend the provisions of the
constitution and prosecute the president; it is made up of members
of the National Assembly and chairpersons of the provincial and
district councils
elections: last held 18 September 2005 (next election expected in
2010)
election results: the single non-transferable vote (SNTV) system
used in the election did not make use of political party slates;
most candidates ran as independents
Judicial branch:
the constitution establishes a nine-member Stera Mahkama or Supreme
Court (its nine justices are appointed for 10-year terms by the
president with approval of the Wolesi Jirga) and subordinate High
Courts and Appeals Courts; there is also a minister of justice; a
separate Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission established by
the Bonn Agreement is charged with investigating human rights abuses
and war crimes
Political parties and leaders:
Afghanistan Peoples' Treaty Party [Sayyed Amir TAHSEEN];
Afghanistan's Islamic Mission Organization [Abdul Rasoul SAYYAF];
Afghanistan's Islamic Nation Party [Toran Noor Aqa Ahmad ZAI];
Afghanistan's National Islamic Party [Rohullah LOUDIN];
Afghanistan's Welfare Party [Meer Asef ZAEEFI]; Afghan Social
Democratic Party [Anwarul Haq AHADI]; Afghan Society for the Call to
the Koran and Sunna [Mawlawee Samiullah NAJEEBEE]; Comprehensive
Movement of Democracy and Development of Afghanistan Party [Sher
Mohammad BAZGAR]; Democratic Party of Afghanistan [Tawos ARAB];
Democratic Party of Afghanistan [Abdul Kabir RANJBAR]; Elites People
of Afghanistan Party [Abdul Hamid JAWAD]; Freedom and Democracy
Movement of Afghanistan [Abdul Raqib Jawid KOHISTANEE]; Freedom
Party of Afghanistan [Ilaj Abdul MALEK]; Freedom Party of
Afghanistan [Dr. Ghulam Farooq NEJRABEE]; Hizullah-e-Afghanistan
[Qari Ahmad ALI]; Human Rights Protection and Development Party of
Afghanistan [Baryalai NASRATI]; Islamic Justice Party of Afghanistan
[Mohammad Kabir MARZBAN]; Islamic Movement of Afghanistan [Mohammad
Ali JAWID]; Islamic Movement of Afghanistan Party [Mohammad Mukhtar
MUFLEH]; Islamic Party of Afghanistan [Mohammad Khalid FAROOQI,
Abdul Hadi ARGHANDIWAL]; Islamic Party of the Afghan Land [Mohammad
Hassan FEROZKHEL]; Islamic People's Movement of Afghanistan [Ilhaj
Said Hussain ANWARY]; Islamic Society of Afghanistan [Ustad
RABBANI]; Islamic Unity of the Nation of Afghanistan Party [Qurban
Ali URFANI]; Islamic Unity Party of Afghanistan [Mohammad Karim
KHALILI]; Islamic Unity Party of the People of Afghanistan [Ustad
Mohammad MOHAQQEQ]; Labor and Progress of Afghanistan Party
[Zulfiqar OMID]; Muslim People of Afghanistan Party [Besmellah
JOYAN]; Muslim Unity Movement Party of Afghanistan [Wazir Mohammad
WAHDAT]; National and Islamic Sovereignty Movement Party of
Afghanistan [Ahmad Shah AHMADZAI]; National Congress Party of
Afghanistan [Abdul Latif PEDRAM]; National Country Party [Ghulam
MOHAMMAD]; National Development Party of Afghanistan [Dr. Aref
BAKTASH]; National Freedom Seekers Party [Abdul Hadi DABEER];
National Independence Party of Afghanistan [Taj Mohammad WARDAK];
National Islamic Fighters Party of Afghanistan [Amanat NINGARHAREE];
National Islamic Front of Afghanistan [Pir Sayed Ahmad GAILANEE];
National Islamic Moderation Party of Afghanistan [Qara Bik Eized
YAAR]; National Islamic Movement of Afghanistan [Sayed NOORULLAH]
National Islamic Unity Party of Afghanistan [Mohammad AKBAREE];
National Movement of Afghanistan [Ahmad Wali MASOOUD]; National
Party of Afghanistan [Abdul Rashid ARYAN]; National Patch of
Afghanistan Party [Sayed Kamal SADAT]; National Peace Islamic Party
of Afghanistan [Shah Mohammood Popal ZAI]; National Peace & Islamic
Party of the Tribes of Afghanistan [Abdul Qaher SHARIATEE]; National
Peace & Unity Party of Afghanistan [Abdul Qader IMAMI]; National
Prosperity and Islamic Party of Afghanistan [Mohammad Osman
SALEKZADA]; National Prosperity Party [Mohammad Hassan JAHFAREE];
National Solidarity Movement of Afghanistan [Pir Sayed Eshaq
GAILANEE]; National Solidarity Party of Afghanistan [Sayed Mansoor
NADREEI]; National Sovereignty Party [Sayed Mustafa KAZEMI];
National Stability Party [Mohammad Same KHAROTI]; National Stance
Party [Habibullah JANEBDAR]; National Tribal Unity Islamic Party of
Afghanistan [Mohammad Shah KHOGYANI]; National United Front
[Burhanuddin RABBANI] (a coalition); National Unity Movement [Sultan
Mohammad GHAZI]; National Unity Movement of Afghanistan [Mohammad
Nadir AATASH]; National Unity Party of Afghanistan [Abdul Rashid
JALILI]; New Afghanistan Party [Mohammad Yunis QANUNI]; Peace and
National Welfare Activists Society [Shamsul Haq Noor SHAMS]; Peace
Movement [Shahnawaz TANAI]; People's Aspirations Party of
Afghanistan [Ilhaj Saraj-u-din ZAFAREE]; People's Freedom Seekers
Party of Afghanistan [Feda Mohammad EHSAS]; People's Liberal Freedom
Seekers Party of Afghanistan [Ajmal SUHAIL]; People's Message Party
of Afghanistan [Noor Aqa WAINEE]; People's Movement of the National
Unity of Afghanistan [Abdul Hakim NOORZAI]; People's Party of
Afghanistan [Ahmad Shah ASAR]; People's Prosperity Party of
Afghanistan [Ustad Mohammad ZAREEF]; People's Sovereignty Movement
of Afghanistan [Hayatullah SUBHANEE]; People's Uprising Party of
Afghanistan [Sayed Zahir Qayed Omul BELADI]; People's Welfare Party
of Afghanistan [Mia Gul WASIQ]; People's Welfare Party of
Afghanistan [Mohammad Zubair PAIROZ]; Progressive Democratic
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