The 1992 CIA World Factbook
by United States. Central Intelligence Agency · English · Gutenberg #48 · 2,416,771 chars · public domain (US)
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Title: The 1992 CIA World Factbook
Author: United States. Central Intelligence Agency
Release date: January 1, 1993 [eBook #48]
Most recently updated: October 3, 2025
Language: English
Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/48
Credits: Produced by Dr. Gregory B. Newby
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE 1992 CIA WORLD FACTBOOK ***
The Project Gutenberg Edition of THE CIA WORLD FACTBOOK 1992: January 1, 1993
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:Afghanistan Geography
:Afghanistan People
:Afghanistan Government
:Afghanistan Government
:Afghanistan Economy
:Afghanistan Economy
:Afghanistan Communications
:Afghanistan Defense Forces
To find the beginning of any country, search for :country
To find internal information, search for :country section, as above.
THE CIA WORLD FACTBOOK 1992
:Afghanistan Geography
Total area:
647,500 km2
Land area:
647,500 km2
Comparative area:
slightly smaller than Texas
Land boundaries:
5,529 km total; China 76 km, Iran 936 km, Pakistan 2,430 km, Tajikistan
1,206 km, Turkmenistan 744 km, Uzbekistan 137 km
Coastline:
none - landlocked
Maritime claims:
none - landlocked
Disputes:
Pashtunistan issue over the North-West Frontier Province with Pakistan;
periodic disputes with Iran over Helmand water rights; Pakistan, Saudi
Arabia, and Iran continue to support clients in country; power struggles
among various groups for control of Kabul, regional rivalries among emerging
warlords, and traditional tribal disputes continue
Climate:
arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers
Terrain:
mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest
Natural resources:
natural gas, crude oil, coal, copper, talc, barites, sulphur, lead, zinc,
iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones
Land use:
arable land 12%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 46%; forest and
woodland 3%; other 39%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Environment:
damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; soil degradation,
desertification, overgrazing, deforestation, pollution
Note:
landlocked
:Afghanistan People
Population:
US Bureau of the Census - 16,095,664 (July 1992), growth rate 2.4% (1992)
and excludes 3,750,796 refugees in Pakistan and 1,607,281 refugees in Iran;
note - another report indicates a July 1990 population of 16,904,904,
including 3,271,580 refugees in Pakistan and 1,277,700 refugees in Iran
Birth rate:
44 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
20 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
0 migrants/1,000 population (1992); note - there are flows across the border
in both directions, but data are fragmentary and unreliable
Infant mortality rate:
162 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
45 years male, 43 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
6.4 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Afghan(s); adjective - Afghan
Ethnic divisions:
Pashtun 38%, Tajik 25%, Uzbek 6%, Hazara 19%; minor ethnic groups include
Chahar Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, and others
Religions:
Sunni Muslim 84%, Shi`a Muslim 15%, other 1%
Languages:
Pashtu 35%, Afghan Persian (Dari) 50%, Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek and
Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages (primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4%; much
bilingualism
Literacy:
29% (male 44%, female 14%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
4,980,000; agriculture and animal husbandry 67.8%, industry 10.2%,
construction 6.3%, commerce 5.0%, services and other 10.7%, (1980 est.)
Organized labor:
some small government-controlled unions existed under the former regime but
probably now have disbanded
:Afghanistan Government
Long-form name:
Islamic State of Afghanistan
Type:
transitional
Capital:
Kabul
Administrative divisions:
30 provinces (velayat, singular - velayat); Badakhshan, Badghis, Baghlan,
Balkh, Bamian, Farah, Faryab, Ghazni, Ghowr, Helmand, Herat, Jowzjan, Kabol,
Kandahar, Kapisa, Konar, Kondoz, Laghman, Lowgar, Nangarhar, Nimruz,
Oruzgan, Paktia, Paktika, Parvan, Samangan, Sar-e Pol, Takhar, Vardak,
Zabol; note - there may be a new province of Nurestan (Nuristan)
Independence:
19 August 1919 (from UK)
Constitution:
the old Communist-era constitution probably will be replaced with an Islamic
constitution
Legal system:
a new legal system has not been adopted but the transitional government has
declared it will follow Islamic law (Shari`a)
National holiday:
28 April, Victory of the Muslim Nation; 4 May, Remembrance Day for Martyrs
and Disabled; 19 August, Independence Day
Executive branch:
a 51-member transitional council headed by Sibghatullah MOJADDEDI rules
Kabul; this body is to turn over power to a leadership council, which will
function as the government and organize elections; Burhanuddin RABBANI will
serve as interim President
Legislative branch:
previous bicameral legislature has been abolished
Judicial branch:
an interim Chief Justice of the Supreme Court has been appointed, but a new
court system has not yet been organized
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government:
Interim President Burhanuddin RABBANI; First Vice President Abdul Wahed
SORABI (since 7 January 1991); Prime Minister Fazil Haq KHALIQYAR (since 21
May 1990)
Political parties and leaders:
the former resistance parties represent the only current political
organizations and include Jamiat-i-Islami (Islamic Society), Burhanuddin
RABBANI; Hizbi Islami-Gulbuddin (Islamic Party), Gulbuddin Hikmatyar
Faction; Hizbi Islami-Khalis (Islamic Party) Yunis Khalis Faction;
Ittihad-i-Islami Barai Azadi Afghanistan (Islamic Union for the Liberation
of Afghanistan), Abdul Rasul SAYYAF; Harakat-Inqilab-i-Islami (Islamic
Revolutionary Movement), Mohammad Nabi MOHAMMADI; Jabha-i-Najat-i-Milli
Afghanistan (Afghanistan National Liberation Front), Sibghatullah MOJADDEDI;
Mahaz-i-Milli-Islami (National Islamic Front), Sayed Ahamad GAILANI;
Jonbesh-i-Milli Islami (National Islamic Movement), Ahmad Shah MASOOD and
Rashid DOSTAM; Hizbi Wahdat (Islamic Unity Party), and a number of minor
resistance parties; the former ruling Watan Party has been disbanded
Suffrage:
undetermined; previously universal, male ages 15-50
Elections:
the transition government has promised elections in October 1992
Communists:
the former ruling Watan (Homeland) Party has been disbanded
:Afghanistan Government
Other political or pressure groups:
the former resistance commanders are the major power brokers in the
countryside; shuras (councils) of commanders are now administering most
cities outside Kabul; ulema (religious scholars); tribal elders
Member of:
Has previously been a member of AsDB, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OIC,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO; note - the new
government has not yet announced whether it will continue to be a member of
these bodies; the former resistance government in exile (Afghan Interim
Government) was given membership in the OIC in 1989
Diplomatic representation:
previous Minister-Counselor, Charge d'Affaires Abdul Ghafur JOUSHAN;
Chancery at 2341 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202)
234-3770 or 3771; a new representative has not yet been named
US:
Charge d'Affaires (vacant); Embassy at Ansari Wat, Wazir Akbar Khan Mina,
Kabul; telephone 62230 through 62235 or 62436; note - US Embassy in Kabul
was closed in January 1989
Flag:
a new flag of unknown description reportedly has been adopted; previous flag
consisted of three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green,
with the national coat of arms superimposed on the hoist side of the black
and red bands; similar to the flag of Malawi, which is shorter and bears a
radiant, rising red sun centered in the black band
:Afghanistan Economy
Overview:
Fundamentally, Afghanistan is an extremely poor, landlocked country, highly
dependent on farming (wheat especially) and livestock raising (sheep and
goats). Economic considerations, however, have played second fiddle to
political and military upheavals during more than 13 years of war, including
the nearly 10-year Soviet military occupation (which ended 15 February
1989). Over the past decade, one-third of the population fled the country,
with Pakistan sheltering more than 3 million refugees and Iran about 1.3
million. Another 1 million probably moved into and around urban areas within
Afghanistan. Although reliable data are unavailable, gross domestic product
is lower than 12 years ago because of the loss of labor and capital and the
disruption of trade and transport.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $3 billion, per capita $200; real growth rate 0%
(1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
over 90% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget:
revenues NA; expenditures NA, including capital expenditures of NA
Exports:
$236 million (f.o.b., FY91 est.)
commodities:
natural gas 55%, fruits and nuts 24%, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton,
hides, and pelts
partners:
mostly former USSR
Imports:
$874 million (c.i.f., FY91 est.)
commodities:
food and petroleum products
partners:
mostly former USSR
External debt:
$2.3 billion (March 1991 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate 2.3% (FY91 est.); accounts for about 25% of GDP
Electricity:
480,000 kW capacity; 1,450 million kWh produced, 90 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, and
cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, oil, coal, copper
Agriculture:
largely subsistence farming and nomadic animal husbandry; cash products -
wheat, fruits, nuts, karakul pelts, wool, mutton
Illicit drugs:
an illicit producer of opium poppy and cannabis for the international drug
trade; world's second-largest opium producer (after Burma) and a major
source of hashish
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $380 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $510 million; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $57 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $4.1
billion; net official Western disbursements (1985-89), $270 million
Currency:
afghani (plural - afghanis); 1 afghani (Af) = 100 puls
:Afghanistan Economy
Exchange rates:
afghanis (Af) per US$1 - 550 (May 1992, free market exchange rate), 900
(free market exchange rate as of November 1991), 850 (1991), 700 (1989-90),
220 (1988-89); note - these rates reflect the bazaar rates rather than the
official exchange rates
Fiscal year:
21 March - 20 March
:Afghanistan Communications
Railroads:
9.6 km (single track) 1.524-meter gauge from Kushka (Turkmenistan) to
Towraghondi and 15.0 km from Termez (Uzbekistan) to Kheyrabad transshipment
point on south bank of Amu Darya
Highways:
21,000 km total (1984); 2,800 km hard surface, 1,650 km bituminous-treated
gravel and improved earth, 16,550 km unimproved earth and tracks
Inland waterways:
total navigability 1,200 km; chiefly Amu Darya, which handles steamers up to
about 500 metric tons
Pipelines:
petroleum products - former USSR to Bagram and former USSR to Shindand;
natural gas 180 km
Ports:
Shir Khan and Kheyrabad (river ports)
Civil air:
2 Tu-154, 2 Boeing 727, 4 Yak-40, assorted smaller transports
Airports:
41 total, 37 usable; 9 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
over 3,659 m; 10 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 18 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
limited telephone, telegraph, and radiobroadcast services; television
introduced in 1980; 31,200 telephones; broadcast stations - 5 AM, no FM, 1
TV; 1 satellite earth station
:Afghanistan Defense Forces
Branches:
the military currently is being reorganized by the new government and does
not yet exist on a national scale; some elements of the former Army, Air and
Air Defense Forces, National Guard, Border Guard Forces, National Police
Force (Sarandoi), and Tribal Militias remain intact and are supporting the
new government; the government has asked all military personnel to return to
their stations; a large number of former resistance groups also field
irregular military forces; the Ministry of State Security (WAD) has been
disbanded
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 3,989,232; 2,139,771 fit for military service; 150,572 reach
military age (22) annually
Defense expenditures:
the new government has not yet adopted a defense budget
:Albania Geography
Total area:
28,750 km2
Land area:
27,400 km2
Comparative area:
slightly larger than Maryland
Land boundaries:
720 km total; Greece 282 km, Macedonia 151 km, Serbia and Montenegro 287 km
(114 km with Serbia, 173 km with Montenegro)
Coastline:
362 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf:
not specified
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
Kosovo question with Serbia and Montenegro; Northern Epirus question with
Greece
Climate:
mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers; interior
is cooler and wetter
Terrain:
mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast
Natural resources:
crude oil, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, timber, nickel
Land use:
arable land 21%; permanent crops 4%; meadows and pastures 15%; forest and
woodland 38%; other 22%; includes irrigated 1%
Environment:
subject to destructive earthquakes; tsunami occur along southwestern coast
Note:
strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to Ionian Sea
and Mediterranean Sea)
:Albania People
Population:
3,285,224 (July 1992), growth rate 1.1% (1992)
Birth rate:
23 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
--6 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
27 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
71 years male, 78 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
2.8 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Albanian(s); adjective - Albanian
Ethnic divisions:
Albanian 90%, Greeks 8%, other 2% (Vlachs, Gypsies, Serbs, and Bulgarians)
(1989 est.)
Religions:
all mosques and churches were closed in 1967 and religious observances
prohibited; in November 1990, Albania began allowing private religious
practice; estimates of religious affiliation - Muslim 70%, Greek Orthodox
20%, Roman Catholic 10%
Languages:
Albanian (Tosk is official dialect), Greek
Literacy:
72% (male 80%, female 63%) age 9 and over can read and write (1955)
Labor force:
1,500,000 (1987); agriculture about 60%, industry and commerce 40% (1986)
Organized labor:
Independent Trade Union Federation of Albania; Confederation of Trade Unions
:Albania Government
Long-form name:
Republic of Albania
Type:
nascent democracy
Capital:
Tirane
Administrative divisions:
26 districts (rrethe, singular - rreth); Berat, Dibre, Durres, Elbasan,
Fier, Gjirokaster, Gramsh, Kolonje, Kore, Kruje, Kukes, Lezhe, Librazhd,
Lushnje, Mat, Mirdite, Permet, Pogradec, Puke, Sarande, Shkoder, Skrapar,
Tepelene, Tirane, Tropoje, Vlore
Independence:
28 November 1912 (from Ottoman Empire); People's Socialist Republic of
Albania declared 11 January 1946
Constitution:
an interim basic law was approved by the People's Assembly on 29 April 1991;
a new constitution is to be drafted for adoption in 1992
Legal system:
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
Liberation Day, 29 November (1944)
Executive branch:
president, prime minister of the Council of Ministers, two deputy prime
ministers of the Council of Ministers
Legislative branch:
unicameral People's Assembly (Kuvendi Popullor)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
President of the Republic Sali BERISHA (since 9 April 1992)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister of the Council of Ministers Aleksander MEKSI (since 10 April
1992)
Political parties and leaders:
there are at least 18 political parties; most prominent are the Albanian
Socialist Party (ASP), Fatos NANO, first secretary; Democratic Party (DP),
Eduard SELAMI, chairman; Albanian Republican Party (RP), Sabri GODO; Omonia
(Greek minority party), leader NA (ran in 1992 election as Unity for Human
Rights Party (UHP)); Social Democratic Party (SDP), Skender GJINUSHI; note -
in December 1990 then President ALIA allowed new political parties to be
formed in addition to the then AWP for the first time since 1944
Suffrage:
universal and compulsory at age 18
Elections:
People's Assembly:
last held 22 March 1992; results - DP 62.29%, ASP 25.57%, SDP 4.33%, RP
3.15%, UHP 2.92%, other 1.74%; seats - (140 total) DP 92, ASP 38, SDP 7, RP
1, UHP 2
Member of:
CSCE, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, IMF, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, OIC,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
Minister-Counselor, Charge d'Affaires ad interim (30 April 1991) Sazan Hyda
BEJO; chancery (temporary) at 320 East 79th Street, New York, NY 10021;
telephone (212) 249-2059
US:
Ambassador (vacant); Embassy at Rruga Labinoti 103, room 2921, Tirane
(mailing address is APO AE 09624); telephone 355-42-32875; FAX 355-42-32222
:Albania Government
Flag:
red with a black two-headed eagle in the center
:Albania Economy
Overview:
The Albanian economy, already providing the lowest standard of living in
Europe, contracted sharply in 1991, with most industries producing at only a
fraction of past levels and an unemployment rate estimated at 40%. For over
40 years, the Stalinist-type economy has operated on the principle of
central planning and state ownership of the means of production. Albania
began fitful economic reforms during 1991, including the liberalization of
prices and trade, the privatization of shops and transport, and land reform.
These reform measures were crippled, however, by the widespread civil
disorder that accompanied the collapse of the Communist state. Following
their overwhelming victory in the 22 March 1991 elections, the new
Democratic government announced a program of shock therapy to stabilize the
economy and establish a market economy. In an effort to expand international
ties, Tirane has reestablished diplomatic relations with the former Soviet
Union and the US and has joined the IMF and World Bank. The Albanians have
also passed legislation allowing foreign investment. Albania possesses
considerable mineral resources and, until 1990, was largely self-sufficient
in food; however, the breakup of cooperative farms in 1991 and general
economic decline forced Albania to rely on foreign aid to maintain adequate
supplies. Available statistics on Albanian economic activity are rudimentary
and subject to an especially wide margin of error.
GNP:
purchasing power equivalent - $2.7 billion, per capita $820; real growth
rate --35% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
100% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
40% (1992 est.)
Budget:
revenues $1.1 billion; expenditures $1.4 billion, including capital
expenditures of $70 million (1991 est.)
Exports:
$80 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
commodities:
asphalt, petroleum products, metals and metallic ores, electricity, crude
oil, vegetables, fruits, tobacco
partners:
Italy, Yugoslavia, Germany, Greece, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Romania,
Bulgaria, Hungary
Imports:
$147 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
commodities:
machinery, machine tools, iron and steel products, textiles, chemicals,
pharmaceuticals
partners:
Italy, Yugoslavia, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Poland, Hungary,
Bulgaria
External debt:
$500 million (1991 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate --55% (1991 est.)
Electricity:
1,690,000 kW capacity; 5,000 million kWh produced, 1,530 kWh per capita
(1990)
Industries:
food processing, textiles and clothing, lumber, oil, cement, chemicals,
basic metals, hydropower
:Albania Economy
Agriculture:
arable land per capita among lowest in Europe; over 60% of arable land now
in private hands; one-half of work force engaged in farming; wide range of
temperate-zone crops and livestock; severe dislocations suffered in 1991
Economic aid:
$190 million humanitarian aid, $94 million in loans/guarantees/credits
Currency:
lek (plural - leke); 1 lek (L) = 100 qintars
Exchange rates:
leke (L) per US$1 - 50 (January 1992), 25 (September 1991)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
:Albania Communications
Railroads:
543 km total; 509 1.435-meter standard gauge, single track and 34 km narrow
gauge, single track (1990); line connecting Titograd (Serbia and Montenegro)
and Shkoder (Albania) completed August 1986
Highways:
16,700 km total; 6,700 km highways, 10,000 km forest and agricultural cart
roads (1990)
Inland waterways:
43 km plus Albanian sections of Lake Scutari, Lake Ohrid, and Lake Prespa
(1990)
Pipelines:
crude oil 145 km; petroleum products 55 km; natural gas 64 km (1988)
Ports:
Durres, Sarande, Vlore
Merchant marine:
11 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 52,886 GRT/76,449 DWT
Airports:
12 total, 10 usable; more than 5 with permanent-surface runways; more than 5
with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 5 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
inadequate service; 15,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 13 AM, 1 TV;
514,000 radios, 255,000 TVs (1987 est.)
:Albania Defense Forces
Branches:
Army, Coastal Defense Command, Air and Air Defense Forces, Interior Ministry
Troops, Border Troops
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 886,032; 731,072 fit for military service; 33,028 reach
military age (19) annually
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - 1.0 billion leks, NA% of GNP (FY90); note -
conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the current
exchange rate could produce misleading results
:Algeria Geography
Total area:
2,381,740 km2
Land area:
2,381,740 km2
Comparative area:
slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Texas
Land boundaries:
6,343 km total; Libya 982 km, Mali 1,376 km, Mauritania 463 km, Morocco
1,559 km, Niger 956 km, Tunisia 965 km, Western Sahara 42 km
Coastline:
998 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
Libya claims about 19,400 km2 in southeastern Algeria; land boundary
disputes with Tunisia under discussion
Climate:
arid to semiarid; mild, wet winters with hot, dry summers along coast; drier
with cold winters and hot summers on high plateau; sirocco is a hot,
dust/sand-laden wind especially common in summer
Terrain:
mostly high plateau and desert; some mountains; narrow, discontinuous
coastal plain
Natural resources:
crude oil, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc
Land use:
arable land 3%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 13%; forest and
woodland 2%; other 82%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Environment:
mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes; desertification
Note:
second-largest country in Africa (after Sudan)
:Algeria People
Population:
26,666,921 (July 1992), growth rate 2.5% (1992)
Birth rate:
31 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
7 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
56 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
66 years male, 68 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
4.1 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Algerian(s); adjective - Algerian
Ethnic divisions:
Arab-Berber 99%, European less than 1%
Religions:
Sunni Muslim (state religion) 99%, Christian and Jewish 1%
Languages:
Arabic (official), French, Berber dialects
Literacy:
50% (male 63%, female 36%) age 15 and over can read and write (1987)
Labor force:
3,700,000; industry and commerce 40%, agriculture 24%, government 17%,
services 10% (1984)
Organized labor:
16-19% of labor force claimed; General Union of Algerian Workers (UGTA) is
the only labor organization and is subordinate to the National Liberation
Front
:Algeria Government
Long-form name:
Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria
Type:
republic
Capital:
Algiers
Administrative divisions:
48 provinces (wilayast, singular - wilaya); Adrar, Ain Defla, Ain
Temouchent, Alger, Annaba, Batna, Bechar, Bejaia, Biskra, Blida, Bordj Bou
Arreridj, Bouira, Boumerdes, Chlef, Constantine, Djelfa, El Bayadh, El Oued,
El Tarf, Ghardaia, Guelma, Illizi, Jijel, Khenchela, Laghouat, Mascara,
Medea, Mila, Mostaganem, M'Sila, Naama, Oran, Ouargla, Oum el Bouaghi,
Relizane, Saida, Setif, Sidi Bel Abbes, Skikda, Souk Ahras, Tamanghasset,
Tebessa, Tiaret, Tindouf, Tipaza, Tissemsilt, Tizi Ouzou, Tlemcen
Independence:
5 July 1962 (from France)
Constitution:
19 November 1976, effective 22 November 1976; revised February 1989
Legal system:
socialist, based on French and Islamic law; judicial review of legislative
acts in ad hoc Constitutional Council composed of various public officials,
including several Supreme Court justices; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
National holiday:
Anniversary of the Revolution, 1 November (1954)
Executive branch:
president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
unicameral National People's Assembly (Al-Majlis Ech-Chaabi Al-Watani)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Leaders:
Chief of State:
President Mohamed BOUDIAF; assassinated 29 June 1992
Head of Government:
Interim Prime Minister Sid Ahmed GHOZALI (since 6 June 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
National Liberation Front (FLN); Socialist Forces Front (FFS), Hocine Ait
AHMED, Secretary General; the government established a multiparty system in
September 1989, and, as of 31 December 1990, over 30 legal parties existed
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
National People's Assembly:
first round held on 26 December 1991 (second round canceled by the military
after President BENJEDID resigned 11 January 1992); results - percent of
vote by party NA; seats - (281 total); the fundamentalist FIS won 188 of the
231 seats contested in the first round; note - elections (municipal and
wilaya) were held in June 1990, the first in Algerian history; results - FIS
55%, FLN 27.5%, other 17.5%, with 65% of the voters participating
President:
next election to be held December 1993
Communists:
400 (est.); Communist party banned 1962
Member of:
ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
IOC, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OAU, OIC, OPEC, UN,
UNAVEM, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
:Algeria Government
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Abderrahmane BENSID; Chancery at 2118 Kalorama Road NW,
Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 265-2800
US:
Ambassador Mary Ann CASEY; Embassy at 4 Chemin Cheich Bachir El-Ibrahimi,
Algiers (mailing address is B. P. Box 549, Alger-Gare, 16000 Algiers);
telephone [213] (2) 601-425 or 255, 186; FAX [213] (2) 603979; there is a US
Consulate in Oran
Flag:
two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and white with a red
five-pointed star within a red crescent; the crescent, star, and color green
are traditional symbols of Islam (the state religion)
:Algeria Economy
Overview:
The oil and natural gas sector forms the backbone of the economy. Algeria
depends on hydrocarbons for nearly all of its export receipts, about 30% of
government revenues, and nearly 25% of GDP. In 1973-74 the sharp increase in
oil prices led to a booming economy and helped to finance an ambitious
program of industrialization. Plunging oil and gas prices, combined with the
mismanagement of Algeria's highly centralized economy, has brought the
nation to its most serious social and economic crisis since independence in
1988. The government has promised far-reaching reforms, including
privatization of some public- sector companies, encouraging private-sector
activity, boosting gas and nonhydrocarbon exports, and proposing a major
overhaul of the banking and financial systems, but to date it has made only
limited progress.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $54 billion, per capita $2,130; real growth rate
2.5% (1990 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
30% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
30% (1991 est.)
Budget:
revenues $16.7 billion; expenditures $17.3 billion, including capital
expenditures of $6.6 billion (1990 est.)
Exports:
$11.7 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
commodities:
petroleum and natural gas 97%
partners:
Netherlands, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Italy, France, US
Imports:
$9 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
commodities:
capital goods 29%, consumer goods 30%
partners:
France 25%, Italy 8%, FRG 8%, US 6-7%
External debt:
$26.4 billion
Industrial production:
growth rate --3% (1989 est.); accounts for 30% of GDP, including petroleum
Electricity:
6,380,000 kW capacity; 16,700 million kWh produced, 640 kWh per capita
(1991)
Industries:
petroleum, light industries, natural gas, mining, electrical, petrochemical,
food processing
Agriculture:
accounts for 11% of GDP and employs 24% of labor force; net importer of food
- grain, vegetable oil, and sugar; farm production includes wheat, barley,
oats, grapes, olives, citrus, fruits, sheep, and cattle
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-85), $1.4 billion; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $925 million; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $1.8 billion; Communist countries (1970-89), $2.7
billion; net official disbursements (1985-89), --$375 million
Currency:
Algerian dinar (plural - dinars); 1 Algerian dinar (DA) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates:
Algerian dinars (DA) per US$1 - 21.862 (January 1992), 18.473 (1991), 8.958
(1990), 7.6086 (1989), 5.9148 (1988), 4.8497 (1987)
:Algeria Economy
Fiscal year:
calendar year
:Algeria Communications
Railroads:
4,060 km total; 2,616 km standard gauge (1.435 m), 1,188 km 1.055-meter
gauge, 256 km 1.000-meter gauge; 300 km electrified; 215 km double track
Highways:
80,000 km total; 60,000 km concrete or bituminous, 20,000 km gravel, crushed
stone, unimproved earth
Pipelines:
crude oil 6,612 km; petroleum products 298 km; natural gas 2,948 km
Ports:
Algiers, Annaba, Arzew, Bejaia, Djendjene, Ghazaouet, Jijel, Mers el Kebir,
Mostaganem, Oran, Skikda
Merchant marine:
75 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 903,179 GRT/1,064,246 DWT; includes 5
short-sea passenger, 27 cargo, 12 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 5 petroleum
tanker, 9 liquefied gas, 7 chemical tanker, 9 bulk, 1 specialized tanker
Civil air:
42 major transport aircraft
Airports:
141 total, 124 usable; 53 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways
over 3,659 m; 32 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 65 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
excellent domestic and international service in the north, sparse in the
south; 822,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 26 AM, no FM, 18 TV;
1,600,000 TV sets; 5,200,000 radios; 5 submarine cables; radio relay to
Italy, France, Spain, Morocco, and Tunisia; coaxial cable to Morocco and
Tunisia; satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian
Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Intersputnik, l ARABSAT, and 15 domestic
:Algeria Defense Forces
Branches:
National Popular Army, Navy, Air Force, Territorial Air Defense, National
Gendarmerie
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 6,386,157; 3,928,029 fit for military service; 283,068 reach
military age (19) annually
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $867 million, approximately 1.8% of GDP (1992)
:American Samoa Geography
Total area:
199 km2
Land area:
199 km2; includes Rose Island and Swains Island
Comparative area:
slightly larger than Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
none
Coastline:
116 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone:
12 nm
Continental shelf:
200 m (depth)
Exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
none
Climate:
tropical marine, moderated by southeast trade winds; annual rainfall
averages 124 inches; rainy season from November to April, dry season from
May to October; little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain:
five volcanic islands with rugged peaks and limited coastal plains, two
coral atolls
Natural resources:
pumice and pumicite
Land use:
arable land 10%; permanent crops 5%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and
woodland 75%; other 10%
Environment:
typhoons common from December to March
Note:
Pago Pago has one of the best natural deepwater harbors in the South Pacific
Ocean, sheltered by shape from rough seas and protected by peripheral
mountains from high winds; strategic location about 3,700 km south-southwest
of Honolulu in the South Pacific Ocean about halfway between Hawaii and New
Zealand
:American Samoa People
Population:
51,115 (July 1992), growth rate 3.9% (1992); about 65,000 American Samoans
live in the states of California and Washington and 20,000 in Hawaii
Birth rate:
37 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
4 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
6 immigrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
19 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
71 years male, 75 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
4.5 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - American Samoan(s); adjective - American Samoan; US, noncitizen
nationals
Ethnic divisions:
Samoan (Polynesian) 90%, Caucasian 2%, Tongan 2%, other 6%
Religions:
Christian Congregationalist 50%, Roman Catholic 20%, Protestant
denominations and other 30%
Languages:
Samoan (closely related to Hawaiian and other Polynesian languages) and
English; most people are bilingual
Literacy:
97% (male 97%, female 97%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980)
Labor force:
14,400 (1990); government 48%, tuna canneries 33%, other 19% (1986 est.)
Organized labor:
NA
:American Samoa Government
Long-form name:
Territory of American Samoa
Type:
unincorporated and unorganized territory of the US;
administered by the US Department of Interior, Office of Territorial and
International Affairs; indigenous inhabitants are US nationals, not citizens
of the US
Capital:
Pago Pago
Administrative divisions:
none (territory of the US)
Independence:
none (territory of the US)
Constitution:
ratified 1966, in effect 1967; note - a comprehensive revision is awaiting
ratification by the US Congress (1992)
National holiday:
Territorial Flag Day, 17 April (1900)
Executive branch:
popularly elected governor and lieutenant governor
Legislative branch:
bicameral Legislative Assembly (Fono) consists of an upper house or Senate
and a lower house or House of Representatives
Judicial branch:
High Court, district courts, and village courts
Leaders:
Chief of State:
President George BUSH (since 20 January 1989); Vice President Dan QUAYLE
(since 20 January 1989)
Head of Government:
Governor Peter Tali COLEMAN (since 20 January 1989); Lieutenant Governor
Galea'i POUMELE (since NA 1989)
Suffrage:
universal at age 18; indigenous inhabitants are US nationals, not US
citizens
Elections:
Governor:
last held 7 November 1988 (next to be held November 1992); results - Peter
T. COLEMAN was elected (percent of vote NA)
House of Representatives:
last held November 1990 (next to be held November 1992); results -
representatives popularly elected from 17 house districts; seats - (21
total, 20 elected, and 1 nonvoting delegate from Swain's Island)
Senate:
last held 7 November 1988 (next to be held November 1992); results -
senators elected by county councils from 12 senate districts; seats - (18
total) number of seats by party NA
US House of Representatives:
last held 19 November 1990 (next to be held November 1992); results - Eni R.
F. H. FALEOMAVAEGA reelected as a nonvoting delegate
Member of:
ESCAP, IOC, SPC
Diplomatic representation:
none (territory of the US)
Flag:
blue with a white triangle edged in red that is based on the fly side and
extends to the hoist side; a brown and white American bald eagle flying
toward the hoist side is carrying two traditional Samoan symbols of
authority, a staff and a war club
:American Samoa Economy
Overview:
Economic development is strongly linked to the US, with which American Samoa
does nearly 90% of its foreign trade. Tuna fishing and tuna processing
plants are the backbone of the private-sector economy, with canned tuna the
primary export. The tuna canneries and the government are by far the two
largest employers. Other economic activities include a slowly developing
tourist industry.
GNP:
purchasing power equivalent - $128 million, per capita $2,500; real growth
rate NA% (1990)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.3% (1989)
Unemployment rate:
12% (1991)
Budget:
revenues $126,394,000 (consisting of $46,441,000 local revenue and
$79,953,000 grant revenue); including capital expenditures of $NA million
(1990)
Exports:
$307 million (f.o.b., 1989)
commodities:
canned tuna 93%
partners:
US 99.6%
Imports:
$377.9 million (c.i.f., 1989)
commodities:
materials for canneries 56%, food 8%, petroleum 7%, machinery and parts 6%
partners:
US 72%, Japan 7%, NZ 7%, Australia 5%, other 9%
External debt:
$NA
Industrial production:
growth rate NA%
Electricity:
42,000 kW capacity; 85 million kWh produced, 2,020 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
tuna canneries (largely dependent on foreign supplies of raw tuna), meat
canning, handicrafts
Agriculture:
bananas, coconuts, vegetables, taro, breadfruit, yams, copra, pineapples,
papayas, dairy farming
Economic aid:
$21,042,650 in operational funds and $5,948,931 in construction funds for
capital improvement projects from the US Department of Interior (1991)
Currency:
US currency is used
Exchange rates:
US currency is used
Fiscal year:
1 October - 30 September
:American Samoa Communications
Railroads:
none
Highways:
350 km total; 150 km paved, 200 km unpaved
Ports:
Pago Pago, Ta'u
Airports:
4 total, 4 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over
3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440 to 3,659 m (international airport at Tafuna,
near Pago Pago); small airstrips on Ta'u and Ofu
Telecommunications:
6,500 telephones; broadcast stations - 1 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; good telex,
telegraph, and facsimile services; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station, 1
COMSAT earth station
:American Samoa Defense Forces
Note:
defense is the responsibility of the US
:Andorra Geography
Total area:
450 km2
Land area:
450 km2
Comparative area:
slightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
125 km total; France 60 km, Spain 65 km
Coastline:
none - landlocked
Maritime claims:
none - landlocked
Disputes:
none
Climate:
temperate; snowy, cold winters and cool, dry summers
Terrain:
rugged mountains dissected by narrow valleys
Natural resources:
hydropower, mineral water, timber, iron ore, lead
Land use:
arable land 2%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 56%; forest and
woodland 22%; other 20%
Environment:
deforestation, overgrazing
Note:
landlocked
:Andorra People
Population:
54,428 (July 1992), growth rate 2.2% (1992)
Birth rate:
11 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
4 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
15 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
7 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
74 years male, 81 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
1.3 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Andorran(s); adjective - Andorran
Ethnic divisions:
Catalan stock; Spanish 61%, Andorran 30%, French 6%, other 3%
Religions:
virtually all Roman Catholic
Languages:
Catalan (official); many also speak some French and Castilian
Literacy:
NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
Labor force:
NA
Organized labor:
none
:Andorra Government
Long-form name:
Principality of Andorra
Type:
unique coprincipality under formal sovereignty of president of France and
Spanish bishop of Seo de Urgel, who are represented locally by officials
called veguers
Capital:
Andorra la Vella
Administrative divisions:
7 parishes (parroquies, singular - parroquia); Andorra, Canillo, Encamp, La
Massana, Les Escaldes, Ordino, Sant Julia de Loria
Independence:
1278
Constitution:
none; some pareatges and decrees, mostly custom and usage
Legal system:
based on French and Spanish civil codes; no judicial review of legislative
acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
Mare de Deu de Meritxell, 8 September
Executive branch:
two co-princes (president of France, bishop of Seo de Urgel in Spain), two
designated representatives (French veguer, Episcopal veguer), two permanent
delegates (French prefect for the department of Pyrenees-Orientales, Spanish
vicar general for the Seo de Urgel diocese), president of government,
Executive Council
Legislative branch:
unicameral General Council of the Valleys (Consell General de las Valls)
Judicial branch:
civil cases - Supreme Court of Andorra at Perpignan (France) or the
Ecclesiastical Court of the bishop of Seo de Urgel (Spain); criminal cases -
Tribunal of the Courts (Tribunal des Cortes)
Leaders:
Chiefs of State:
French Co-Prince Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981), represented by
Veguer de Franca Jean Pierre COURTOIS; Spanish Episcopal Co-Prince Mgr. Joan
MARTI y Alanis (since 31 January 1971), represented by Veguer Episcopal
Francesc BADIA Batalla
Head of Government:
Oscar RIBAS Reig (since January 1990)
Political parties and leaders:
political parties not yet legally recognized; traditionally no political
parties but partisans for particular independent candidates for the General
Council on the basis of competence, personality, and orientation toward
Spain or France; various small pressure groups developed in 1972; first
formal political party, Andorran Democratic Association, was formed in 1976
and reorganized in 1979 as Andorran Democratic Party
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
General Council of the Valleys:
last held 11 December 1989 (next to be held December 1993); results -
percent of vote by party NA; seats - (28 total) number of seats by party NA
Member of:
INTERPOL, IOC
Diplomatic representation:
Andorra has no mission in the US
:Andorra Government
US:
includes Andorra within the Barcelona (Spain) Consular District, and the US
Consul General visits Andorra periodically; Consul General Carolee HEILEMAN;
Consulate General at Via Layetana 33, 08003 Barcelona (mailing address APO
AE 09646); telephone [34] (3) 319-9550
Flag:
three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red with the
national coat of arms centered in the yellow band; the coat of arms features
a quartered shield; similar to the flags of Chad and Romania that do not
have a national coat of arms in the center
:Andorra Economy
Overview:
The mainstay of Andorra's economy is tourism. An estimated 13 million
tourists visit annually, attracted by Andorra's duty-free status and by its
summer and winter resorts. Agricultural production is limited by a scarcity
of arable land, and most food has to be imported. The principal livestock
activity is sheep raising. Manufacturing consists mainly of cigarettes,
cigars, and furniture. The rapid pace of European economic integration is a
potential threat to Andorra's advantages from its duty-free status.
GDP:
purchasing power equivalent - $727 million, per capita $14,000; real growth
rate NA% (1990 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
NA%
Unemployment rate:
none
Budget:
revenues $NA; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exports:
$0.017 million (f.o.b., 1986)
commodities:
electricity
partners:
France, Spain
Imports:
$531 million (f.o.b., 1986)
commodities:
consumer goods, food
partners:
France, Spain
External debt:
$NA
Industrial production:
growth rate NA%
Electricity:
35,000 kW capacity; 140 million kWh produced, 2,800 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
tourism (particularly skiing), sheep, timber, tobacco, banking
Agriculture:
sheep raising; small quantities of tobacco, rye, wheat, barley, oats, and
some vegetables
Economic aid:
none
Currency:
French franc (plural - francs) and Spanish peseta (plural - pesetas); 1
French franc (F) = 100 centimes and 1 Spanish peseta (Pta) = 100 centimos
Exchange rates:
French francs (F) per US$1 - 5.3801 January (1992), 5.6421 (1991), 5.4453
(1990), 6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987); Spanish pesetas (Ptas)
per US$1 - 100.02 (January 1992), 103.91 (1991), 101.93 (1990), 118.38
(1989), 116.49 (1988), 123.48 (1987)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
:Andorra Communications
Highways:
96 km
Telecommunications:
international digital microwave network; international landline circuits to
France and Spain; broadcast stations - 1 AM, no FM, no TV; 17,700 telephones
:Andorra Defense Forces
Note:
defense is the responsibility of France and Spain
:Angola Geography
Total area:
1,246,700 km2
Land area:
1,246,700 km2
Comparative area:
slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Land boundaries:
5,198 km total; Congo 201 km, Namibia 1,376 km, Zaire 2,511 km, Zambia 1,110
km
Coastline:
1,600 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
20 nm
Disputes:
civil war since independence on 11 November 1975; on 31 May 1991 Angolan
President Jose Eduardo dos SANTOS and Jonas SAVIMBI, leader of the National
Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), signed a peace treaty
that calls for multiparty elections in late September 1992, an
internationally monitored cease-fire, and termination of outside military
assistance
Climate:
semiarid in south and along coast to Luanda; north has cool, dry season (May
to October) and hot, rainy season (November to April)
Terrain:
narrow coastal plain rises abruptly to vast interior plateau
Natural resources:
petroleum, diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, copper, feldspar, gold, bauxite,
uranium
Land use:
arable land 2%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 23%; forest and
woodland 43%; other 32%
Environment:
locally heavy rainfall causes periodic flooding on plateau; desertification
Note:
Cabinda is separated from rest of country by Zaire
:Angola People
Population:
8,902,076 (July 1992), growth rate 2.7% (1992)
Birth rate:
46 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
19 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
152 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
43 years male, 47 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
6.6 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Angolan(s); adjective - Angolan
Ethnic divisions:
Ovimbundu 37%, Kimbundu 25%, Bakongo 13%, Mestico 2%,European 1%, other 22%
Religions:
indigenous beliefs 47%, Roman Catholic 38%, Protestant 15% (est.)
Languages:
Portuguese (official); various Bantu dialects
Literacy:
42% (male 56%, female 28%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
2,783,000 economically active; agriculture 85%, industry 15% (1985 est.)
Organized labor:
about 450,695 (1980)
:Angola Government
Long-form name:
People's Republic of Angola
Type:
in transition from a one-party Marxist state to a multiparty democracy with
a strong presidential system
Capital:
Luanda
Administrative divisions:
18 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Bengo, Benguela, Bie,
Cabinda, Cuando Cubango, Cuanza Norte, Cuanza Sul, Cunene, Huambo, Huila,
Luanda, Lunda Norte, Lunda Sul, Malanje, Moxico, Namibe, Uige, Zaire
Independence:
11 November 1975 (from Portugal)
Constitution:
11 November 1975; revised 7 January 1978, 11 August 1980, and 6 March 1991
Legal system:
based on Portuguese civil law system and customary law; recently modified to
accommodate multipartyism and increased use of free markets
National holiday:
Independence Day, 11 November (1975)
Executive branch:
president, prime minister, chairman of the Council of Ministers, Council of
Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
unicameral People's Assembly (Assembleia do Povo)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (Tribunal da Relacaao)
Leaders:
Chief of State:
President Jose Eduardo dos SANTOS (since 21 September 1979)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Fernando Jose Franca VAN DUNEM (since 21 July 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola - Labor Party (MPLA), led
by Jose Eduardo dos SANTOS, is the ruling party that has been in power in
Angola's one-party system since 1975. The National Union for the Total
Independence of Angola (UNITA), led by Jonas SAVIMBI, has been in insurgency
since 1975, but as a result of the peace accords is now a legally recognized
political party. Some 30 other political parties now exist in Angola, but
few of them are viable and only a couple have met the requirements to become
legally recognized.
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
first nationwide, multiparty elections to be held between September and
November 1992
Member of:
ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEEAC (observer), ECA, FAO, FLS, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IFAD,
ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, SADCC, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
none; note - US Liaison Office (USLO) established after Peace Accords in May
1991 as a precursor to establishing an embassy after election in 1992;
address - Luanda (USLO), BPA Building, llth floor, telephone [244] (2)
39-02-42; FAX [244] (2) 39-05-15
Flag:
two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and black with a centered yellow
emblem consisting of a five-pointed star within half a cogwheel crossed by a
machete (in the style of a hammer and sickle)
:Angola Economy
Overview:
Subsistence agriculture provides the main livelihood for 80-90% of the
population, but accounts for less than 15% of GDP. Oil production is vital
to the economy, contributing about 60% to GDP. In recent years, a bitter
internal war has severely affected the nonoil economy, and food has to be
imported. For the long run, Angola has the advantage of rich natural
resources in addition to oil, notably gold, diamonds, and arable land. To
realize its economic potential Angola not only must secure domestic peace
but also must reform government policies that have led to distortions and
imbalances throughout the economy.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $8.3 billion, per capita $950; real growth rate
1.7% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6.1% (1990 est.)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget:
revenues $2.6 billion; expenditures $4.4 billion, including capital
expenditures of $963 million (1990 est.)
Exports:
$3.9 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
commodities:
oil, liquefied petroleum gas, diamonds, coffee, sisal, fish and fish
products, timber, cotton
partners:
US, USSR, Cuba, Portugal, Brazil, France
Imports:
$1.5 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
commodities:
capital equipment (machinery and electrical equipment), food, vehicles and
spare parts, textiles and clothing, medicines; substantial military
deliveries
partners:
US, USSR, Cuba, Portugal, Brazil
External debt:
$7.0 billion (1990)
Industrial production:
growth rate NA%; accounts for about 60% of GDP, including petroleum output
Electricity:
510,000 kW capacity; 770 million kWh produced, 90 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
petroleum, diamonds, mining, fish processing, food processing, brewing,
tobacco, sugar, textiles, cement, basic metal products
Agriculture:
cash crops - coffee, sisal, corn, cotton, sugar, manioc, tobacco; food crops
- cassava, corn, vegetables, plantains, bananas; livestock production
accounts for 20%, fishing 4%, forestry 2% of total agricultural output;
disruptions caused by civil war and marketing deficiencies require food
imports
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $265 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1,105 million;
Communist countries (1970-89), $1.3 billion; net official disbursements
(1985-89), $750 million
Currency:
kwanza (plural - kwanza); 1 kwanza (Kz) = 100 lwei
Exchange rates:
kwanza (Kz) per US$1 - 180.0
:Angola Economy
Fiscal year:
calendar year
:Angola Communications
Railroads:
3,189 km total; 2,879 km 1.067-meter gauge, 310 km 0.600-meter gauge;
limited trackage in use because of landmines still in place from the civil
war; majority of the Benguela Railroad also closed because of civil war
Highways:
73,828 km total; 8,577 km bituminous-surface treatment, 29,350 km crushed
stone, gravel, or improved earth, remainder unimproved earth
Inland waterways:
1,295 km navigable
Pipelines:
crude oil 179 km
Ports:
Luanda, Lobito, Namibe, Cabinda
Merchant marine:
12 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 66,348 GRT/102,825 DWT; includes 11
cargo, 1 petroleum tanker
Civil air:
28 major transport aircraft
Airports:
309 total, 177 usable; 30 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways
over 3,659 m; 15 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 54 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
limited system of wire, radio relay, and troposcatter routes; high frequency
radio used extensively for military links; 40,300 telephones; broadcast
stations - 17 AM, 13 FM, 6 TV; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
:Angola Defense Forces
Branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force/Air Defense, People's Defense Organization and
Territorial Troops, Frontier Guard
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 2,129,877; 1,072,323 fit for military service; 89,585 reach
military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP
:Anguilla Geography
Total area:
91 km2
Land area:
91 km2
Comparative area:
about half the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
none
Coastline:
61 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
3 nm
Disputes:
none
Climate:
tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds
Terrain:
flat and low-lying island of coral and limestone
Natural resources:
negligible; salt, fish, lobster
Land use:
arable land NA%; permanent crops NA%; meadows and pastures NA%; forest and
woodland NA%; other NA%; mostly rock with sparse scrub oak, few trees, some
commercial salt ponds
Environment:
frequent hurricanes, other tropical storms (July to October)
Note:
located 270 km east of Puerto Rico
:Anguilla People
Population:
6,963 (July 1992), growth rate 0.6% (1992)
Birth rate:
24 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
8 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
--10 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
18 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
71 years male, 77 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
3.1 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Anguillan(s); adjective - Anguillan
Ethnic divisions:
mainly of black African descent
Religions:
Anglican 40%, Methodist 33%, Seventh-Day Adventist 7%, Baptist 5%, Roman
Catholic 3%, other 12%
Languages:
English (official)
Literacy:
95% (male 95%, female 95%) age 12 and over can read and write (1984)
Labor force:
2,780 (1984)
Organized labor:
NA
:Anguilla Government
Long-form name:
none
Type:
dependent territory of the UK
Capital:
The Valley
Administrative divisions:
none (dependent territory of the UK)
Independence:
none (dependent territory of the UK)
Constitution:
1 April 1982
Legal system:
based on English common law
National holiday:
Anguilla Day, 30 May
Executive branch:
British monarch, governor, chief minister, Executive Council (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
unicameral House of Assembly
Judicial branch:
High Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Brian G.
J. CANTY (since NA 1989)
Head of Government:
Chief Minister Emile GUMBS (since March 1984, served previously from
February 1977 to May 1980)
Political parties and leaders:
Anguilla National Alliance (ANA), Emile GUMBS; Anguilla United Party (AUP),
Hubert HUGHES; Anguilla Democratic Party (ADP), Victor BANKS
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
House of Assembly:
last held 27 February 1989 (next to be held February 1994); results -
percent of vote by party NA; seats - (11 total, 7 elected) ANA 3, AUP 2, ADP
1, independent 1
Member of:
CARICOM (observer), CDB
Diplomatic representation:
none (dependent territory of the UK)
Flag:
two horizontal bands of white (top, almost triple width) and light blue with
three orange dolphins in an interlocking circular design centered in the
white band; a new flag may have been in use since 30 May 1990
:Anguilla Economy
Overview:
Anguilla has few natural resources, and the economy depends heavily on
lobster fishing, offshore banking, tourism, and remittances from emigrants.
In recent years the economy has benefited from a boom in tourism.
Development plans center around the improvement of the infrastructure,
particularly transport and tourist facilities, and also light industry.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $23 million, per capita $3,300; real growth rate
8.2% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.5% (1988 est.)
Unemployment rate:
5.0% (1988 est.)
Budget:
revenues $13.8 million; expenditures $15.2 million, including capital
expenditures of $2.4 million (1992 est.)
Exports:
$NA
commodities:
lobster and salt
partners:
NA
Imports:
$NA
commodities:
NA
partners:
NA
External debt:
$NA
Industrial production:
growth rate NA%
Electricity:
2,000 kW capacity; 6 million kWh produced, 867 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
tourism, boat building, salt, fishing (including lobster)
Agriculture:
pigeon peas, corn, sweet potatoes, sheep, goats, pigs, cattle, poultry
Economic aid:
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $38
million
Currency:
East Caribbean dollar (plural - dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)
Fiscal year:
NA
:Anguilla Communications
Highways:
60 km surfaced
Ports:
Road Bay, Blowing Point
Civil air:
no major transport aircraft
Airports:
3 total, 3 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways of 1,100 m (Wallblake
Airport)
Telecommunications:
modern internal telephone system; 890 telephones; broadcast stations - 3 AM,
1 FM, no TV; radio relay link to island of Saint Martin
:Anguilla Defense Forces
Note:
defense is the responsibility of the UK
:Antarctica Geography
Total area:
14,000,000 km2 (est.)
Land area:
about 14,000,000 km2
Comparative area:
slightly less than 1.5 times the size of the US; second-smallest continent
(after Australia)
Land boundaries:
none, but see entry on Disputes
Coastline:
17,968 km
Maritime claims:
none, but see entry on Disputes
Disputes:
Antarctic Treaty defers claims (see Antarctic Treaty Summary below);
sections (some overlapping) claimed by Argentina, Australia, Chile, France
(Adelie Land), New Zealand (Ross Dependency), Norway (Queen Maud Land), and
UK; the US and Russia do not recognize the territorial claims of other
nations and have made no claims themselves (but reserve the right to do so);
no formal claims have been made in the sector between 90. west and 150.
west, where, because of floating ice, Antarctica is unapproachable from the
sea
Climate:
severe low temperatures vary with latitude, elevation, and distance from the
ocean; East Antarctica is colder than West Antarctica because of its higher
elevation; Antarctic Peninsula has the most moderate climate; higher
temperatures occur in January along the coast and average slightly below
freezing
Terrain:
about 98% thick continental ice sheet and 2% barren rock, with average
elevations between 2,000 and 4,000 meters; mountain ranges up to 4,897
meters high; ice-free coastal areas include parts of southern Victoria Land,
Wilkes Land, the Antarctic Peninsula area, and Ross Island on McMurdo Sound;
glaciers form ice shelves along about half of the coastline, and floating
ice shelves constitute 11% of the area of the continent
Natural resources:
none presently exploited; iron, chromium, copper, gold, nickel, platinum,
and other minerals, and coal and hydrocarbons have been found in small,
uncommercial quantities
Land use:
no arable land and no plant growth; ice 98%, barren rock 2%
Environment:
mostly uninhabitable; katabatic (gravity-driven) winds blow coastward from
the high interior; frequent blizzards form near the foot of the plateau; a
circumpolar ocean current flows clockwise along the coast as do cyclonic
storms that form over the ocean; during summer more solar radiation reaches
the surface at the South Pole than is received at the Equator in an
equivalent period; in October 1991 it was reported that the ozone shield,
which protects the Earth's surface from harmful ultraviolet radiation, had
dwindled to its lowest level ever over Antarctica; active volcanism on
Deception Island and isolated areas of West Antarctica; other seismic
activity rare and weak
Note:
the coldest, windiest, highest, and driest continent
:Antarctica People
Population:
no indigenous inhabitants; staffing of research stations varies seasonally
Population:
Summer (January) population:
4,115; Argentina 207, Australia 268, Belgium 13, Brazil 80, Chile 256, China
NA, Ecuador NA, Finland 11, France 78, Germany 32, Greenpeace 12, India 60,
Italy 210, Japan 59, South Korea 14, Netherlands 10, New Zealand 264, Norway
23, Peru 39, Poland NA, South Africa 79, Spain 43, Sweden 10, UK 116,
Uruguay NA, US 1,666, Russia 565 (1989-90)
Summer only stations:
over 40; Argentina 7, Australia 3, Chile 5, Germany 3, India 1, Italy 1,
Japan 4, New Zealand 2, Norway 1, Peru 1, South Africa 1, Spain 1, Sweden 2,
UK 1, US numerous, Russia 5 (1989-90); note - the disintegration of the
former Soviet Union has placed the status and future of its Antarctic
facilities in doubt. Stations may be subject to closings at any time because
of ongoing economic difficulties.
Winter (July) population:
1,066 total; Argentina 150, Australia 71, Brazil 12, Chile 73, China NA,
France 33, Germany 19, Greenpeace 5, India 1, Japan 38, South Korea 14, NZ
11, Poland NA, South Africa 12, UK 69, Uruguay NA, US 225, Russia 313
(1989-90)
Year-round stations:
43 total; Argentina 6, Australia 3, Brazil 1, Chile 3, China 2, Finland 1,
France 1, Germany 1, India 1, Japan 2, South Korea 1, NZ 1, Poland 1, South
Africa 3, UK 5, Uruguay 1, US 3, Russia 6 (1990-91)
:Antarctica Government
Long-form name:
none
Type:
Antarctic Treaty Summary: Article 1:
area to be used for peaceful purposes only; military activity, such as
weapons testing, is prohibited, but military personnel and equipment may be
used for scientific research or any other peaceful purposes
Article 2:
freedom of scientific investigation and cooperation shall continue
Article 3:
free exchange of information and personnel in cooperation with the UN and
other international agencies
Article 4:
does not recognize, dispute, or establish territorial claims and no new
claims shall be asserted while the treaty is in force
Article 5:
prohibits nuclear explosions or disposal of radioactive wastes
Article 6:
includes under the treaty all land and ice shelves south of 60. 00' south
Article 7:
treaty-state observers have free access, including aerial observation, to
any area and may inspect all stations, installations, and equipment; advance
notice of all activities and of the introduction of military personnel must
be given
Article 8:
allows for jurisdiction over observers and scientists by their own states
Article 9:
frequent consultative meetings take place among member nations
Article 10:
treaty states will discourage activities by any country in Antarctica that
are contrary to the treaty
Article 11:
disputes to be settled peacefully by the parties concerned or, ultimately,
by the ICJ
Article 12, 13, 14:
deal with upholding, interpreting, and amending the treaty among involved
nations
Other agreements:
more than 170 recommendations adopted at treaty consultative meetings and
ratified by governments include - Agreed Measures for the Conservation of
Antarctic Fauna and Flora (1964); Convention for the Conservation of
Antarctic Seals (1972); Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine
Living Resources (1980); a mineral resources agreement was signed in 1988
but was subsequently rejected; in 1991 the Protocol on Environmental
Protection to the Antarctic Treaty was signed and awaits ratification; this
agreement provides for the protection of the Antarctic environment through
five specific annexes on marine pollution, fauna, and flora, environmental
impact assessments, waste management, and protected areas; it also prohibits
all activities relating to mineral resources except scientific research
:Antarctica Economy
Overview:
No economic activity at present except for fishing off the coast and
small-scale tourism, both based abroad.
:Antarctica Communications
Ports:
none; offshore anchorage only at most coastal stations
Airports:
41 airport facilities at different locations operated by 14 national
governments party to the Treaty; one additional air facility operated by
commercial (nongovernmental) tourist organization; helicopter pads at 28 of
these locations; runways at 9 locations are gravel, sea ice, glacier ice, or
compacted snow surface suitable for wheeled fixed-wing aircraft; no paved
runways; 16 locations have snow-surface skiways limited to use by
ski-equipped planes - 9 runways/skiways 1,000 to 3,000 m, 4 runways/skiways
less than 1,000 m, 5 runways/skiways greater than 3,000 m, and 7 of
unspecified or variable length; airports generally subject to severe
restrictions and limitations resulting from extreme seasonal and geographic
conditions
:Antarctica Defense Forces
Note:
none; Article 7 of the Antarctic Treaty states that advance notice of all
military activities and the introduction of military personnel must be given
:Antigua and Barbuda Geography
Total area:
440 km2
Land area:
440 km2; includes Redonda
Comparative area:
slightly less than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
none
Coastline:
153 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone:
24 nm
Exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
none
Climate:
tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain:
mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands with some higher volcanic areas
Natural resources:
negligible; pleasant climate fosters tourism
Land use:
arable land 18%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 7%; forest and
woodland 16%; other 59%
Environment:
subject to hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October); insufficient
freshwater resources; deeply indented coastline provides many natural
harbors
Note:
420 km east-southeast of Puerto Rico
:Antigua and Barbuda People
Population:
64,110 (July 1992), growth rate 0.4% (1992)
Birth rate:
18 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
6 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
--8 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
20 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
71 years male, 75 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
1.7 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s); adjective - Antiguan, Barbudan
Ethnic divisions:
almost entirely of black African origin; some of British, Portuguese,
Lebanese, and Syrian origin
Religions:
Anglican (predominant), other Protestant sects, some Roman Catholic
Languages:
English (official), local dialects
Literacy:
89% (male 90%, female 88%) age 15 and over having completed 5 or more years
of schooling (1960)
Labor force:
30,000; commerce and services 82%, agriculture 11%, industry 7% (1983)
Organized labor:
Antigua and Barbuda Public Service Association (ABPSA), membership 500;
Antigua Trades and Labor Union (ATLU), 10,000 members; Antigua Workers Union
(AWU), 10,000 members (1986 est.)
:Antigua and Barbuda Government
Long-form name:
none
Type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
Saint John's
Administrative divisions:
6 parishes and 2 dependencies*; Barbuda*, Redonda*, Saint George, Saint
John, Saint Mary, Saint Paul, Saint Peter, Saint Philip
Independence:
1 November 1981 (from UK)
Constitution:
1 November 1981
Legal system:
based on English common law
National holiday:
Independence Day, 1 November (1981)
Executive branch:
British monarch, governor general, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house
or House of Representatives
Judicial branch:
Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General
Sir Wilfred Ebenezer JACOBS (since 1 November 1981, previously Governor
since 1976)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Vere Cornwall BIRD, Sr. (since NA 1976); Deputy Prime
Minister (vacant)
Political parties and leaders:
Antigua Labor Party (ALP), Vere C. BIRD, Sr., Lester BIRD; United
Progressive Party (UPP), Baldwin SPENCER
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
House of Representatives:
last held 9 March 1989 (next to be held NA 1994); results - percent of vote
by party NA; seats - (17 total) ALP 15, UPP 1, independent 1
Other political or pressure groups:
United Progressive Party (UPP), a coalition of three opposition political
parties - the United National Democratic Party (UNDP), the Antigua Caribbean
Liberation Movement (ACLM), and the Progressive Labor Movement (PLM), the
UPP is led by Baldwin SPENCER; Antigua Trades and Labor Union (ATLU), headed
by Noel THOMAS
Member of:
ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, IFC,
ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, OPANAL, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, WCL, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Patrick Albert LEWIS; Chancery at Suite 2H, 3400 International
Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 362-5211 or 5166, 5122,
5225; there is an Antiguan Consulate in Miami
:Antigua and Barbuda Government
US:
the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Antigua and Barbuda, and, in
his absence, the Embassy is headed by Charge d'Affaires Bryant SALTER;
Embassy at Queen Elizabeth Highway, Saint John's (mailing address is FPO AA
34054); telephone (809) 462-3505 or 3506; FAX (809) 462-3516
Flag:
red with an inverted isosceles triangle based on the top edge of the flag;
the triangle contains three horizontal bands of black (top), light blue, and
white with a yellow rising sun in the black band
:Antigua and Barbuda Economy
Overview:
The economy is primarily service oriented, with tourism the most important
determinant of economic performance. During the period 1987-90, real GDP
expanded at an annual average rate of about 6%. Tourism makes a direct
contribution to GDP of about 13% and also affects growth in other sectors -
particularly in construction, communications, and public utilities. Although
Antigua and Barbuda is one of the few areas in the Caribbean experiencing a
labor shortage in some sectors of the economy, it was hurt in 1991 by a
downturn in tourism caused by the Persian Gulf war and the US recession.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $418 million, per capita $6,500 (1989); real
growth rate 4.2% (1990 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
7% (1990 est.)
Unemployment rate:
5.0% (1988 est.)
Budget:
revenues $92.8 million; expenditures $101 million, including capital
expenditures of $NA (1990 est.)
Exports:
$33.2 million (f.o.b., 1990)
commodities:
petroleum products 48%, manufactures 23%, food and live animals 4%,
machinery and transport equipment 17%
partners:
OECS 26%, Barbados 15%, Guyana 4%, Trinidad and Tobago 2%, US 0.3%
Imports:
$325.9 million (c.i.f., 1990)
commodities:
food and live animals, machinery and transport equipment, manufactures,
chemicals, oil
partners:
US 27%, UK 16%, Canada 4%, OECS 3%, other 50%
External debt:
$250 million (1990 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate 3% (1989 est.); accounts for 3% of GDP
Electricity:
52,100 kW capacity; 95 million kWh produced, 1,482 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
tourism, construction, light manufacturing (clothing, alcohol, household
appliances)
Agriculture:
accounts for 4% of GDP; expanding output of cotton, fruits, vegetables, and
livestock; other crops - bananas, coconuts, cucumbers, mangoes, sugarcane;
not self-sufficient in food
Economic aid:
US commitments, $10 million (1985-88); Western (non-US) countries, ODA and
OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $50 million
Currency:
East Caribbean dollar (plural - dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)
Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March
:Antigua and Barbuda Communications
Railroads:
64 km 0.760-meter narrow gauge and 13 km 0.610-meter gauge used almost
exclusively for handling sugarcane
Highways:
240 km
Ports:
Saint John's
Merchant marine:
105 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 364,891 GRT/552,475 DWT; includes 71
cargo, 3 refrigerated cargo, 12 container, 3 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1
multifunction large load carrier, 1 oil tanker, 12 chemical tanker, 2 bulk;
note - a flag of convenience registry
Civil air:
11 major transport aircraft
Airports:
3 total, 3 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways less than 1,220 m
Telecommunications:
good automatic telephone system; 6,700 telephones; tropospheric scatter
links with Saba and Guadeloupe; broadcast stations - 4 AM, 2 FM, 2 TV, 2
shortwave; 1 coaxial submarine cable; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth
station
:Antigua and Barbuda Defense Forces
Branches:
Royal Antigua and Barbuda Defense Force, Royal Antigua and Barbuda Police
Force (including the Coast Guard)
Manpower availability:
NA
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $1.4 million, 1% of GDP (FY91)
:Arctic Ocean Geography
Total area:
14,056,000 km2
Land area:
14,056,000 km2; includes Baffin Bay, Barents Sea, Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Sea,
East Siberian Sea, Greenland Sea, Hudson Bay, Hudson Strait, Kara Sea,
Laptev Sea, and other tributary water bodies
Comparative area:
slightly more than 1.5 times the size of the US; smallest of the world's
four oceans (after Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and Indian Ocean)
Coastline:
45,389 km
Disputes:
some maritime disputes (see littoral states)
Climate:
persistent cold and relatively narrow annual temperature ranges; winters
characterized by continuous darkness, cold and stable weather conditions,
and clear skies; summers characterized by continuous daylight, damp and
foggy weather, and weak cyclones with rain or snow
Terrain:
central surface covered by a perennial drifting polar icepack that averages
about 3 meters in thickness, although pressure ridges may be three times
that size; clockwise drift pattern in the Beaufort Gyral Stream, but nearly
straight line movement from the New Siberian Islands (Russia) to Denmark
Strait (between Greenland and Iceland); the ice pack is surrounded by open
seas during the summer, but more than doubles in size during the winter and
extends to the encircling land masses; the ocean floor is about 50%
continental shelf (highest percentage of any ocean) with the remainder a
central basin interrupted by three submarine ridges (Alpha Cordillera,
Nansen Cordillera, and Lomonsov Ridge); maximum depth is 4,665 meters in the
Fram Basin
Natural resources:
sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules, oil and
gas fields, fish, marine mammals (seals, whales)
Environment:
endangered marine species include walruses and whales; ice islands
occasionally break away from northern Ellesmere Island; icebergs calved from
glaciers in western Greenland and extreme northeastern Canada; maximum snow
cover in March or April about 20 to 50 centimeters over the frozen ocean and
lasts about 10 months; permafrost in islands; virtually icelocked from
October to June; fragile ecosystem slow to change and slow to recover from
disruptions or damage
Note:
major chokepoint is the southern Chukchi Sea (northern access to the Pacific
Ocean via the Bering Strait); ships subject to superstructure icing from
October to May; strategic location between North America and Russia;
shortest marine link between the extremes of eastern and western Russia,
floating research stations operated by the US and Russia
:Arctic Ocean Economy
Overview:
Economic activity is limited to the exploitation of natural resources,
including crude oil, natural gas, fish, and seals.
:Arctic Ocean Communications
Ports:
Churchill (Canada), Murmansk (Russia), Prudhoe Bay (US)
Telecommunications:
no submarine cables
Note:
sparse network of air, ocean, river, and land routes; the Northwest Passage
(North America) and Northern Sea Route (Asia) are important seasonal
waterways
:Argentina Geography
Total area:
2,766,890 km2
Land area:
2,736,690 km2
Comparative area:
slightly more than four times the size of Texas
Land boundaries:
9,665 km total; Bolivia 832 km, Brazil 1,224 km, Chile 5,150 km, Paraguay
1,880 km, Uruguay 579 km
Coastline:
4,989 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf:
200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation
Exclusive economic zone:
nm limits unknown
Territorial sea:
12 nm (overflight and navigation permitted beyond 12 nm)
Disputes:
short section of the boundary with Uruguay is in dispute; short section of
the boundary with Chile is indefinite; claims British-administered Falkland
Islands (Islas Malvinas); claims British- administered South Georgia and the
South Sandwich Islands; territorial claim in Antarctica
Climate:
mostly temperate; arid in southeast; subantarctic in southwest
Terrain:
rich plains of the Pampas in northern half, flat to rolling plateau of
Patagonia in south, rugged Andes along western border
Natural resources:
fertile plains of the pampas, lead, zinc, tin, copper, iron ore, manganese,
crude oil, uranium
Land use:
arable land 9%; permanent crops 4%; meadows and pastures 52%; forest and
woodland 22%; other 13%; includes irrigated 1%
Environment:
Tucuman and Mendoza areas in Andes subject to earthquakes; pamperos are
violent windstorms that can strike Pampas and northeast; irrigated soil
degradation; desertification; air and water pollution in Buenos Aires
Note:
second-largest country in South America (after Brazil); strategic location
relative to sea lanes between South Atlantic and South Pacific Oceans
(Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake Passage)
:Argentina People
Population:
32,901,234 (July 1992), growth rate 1.1% (1992)
Birth rate:
20 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
9 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
34 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
67 years male, 74 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
2.8 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Argentine(s); adjective - Argentine
Ethnic divisions:
white 85%; mestizo, Indian, or other nonwhite groups 15%
Religions:
nominally Roman Catholic 90% (less than 20% practicing), Protestant 2%,
Jewish 2%, other 6%
Languages:
Spanish (official), English, Italian, German, French
Literacy:
95% (male 96%, female 95%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
10,900,000; agriculture 12%, industry 31%, services 57% (1985 est.)
Organized labor:
3,000,000; 28% of labor force
:Argentina Government
Long-form name:
Argentine Republic
Type:
republic
Capital:
Buenos Aires
Administrative divisions:
23 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia), and 1 district**
(distrito); Buenos Aires, Catamarca, Chaco, Chubut, Cordoba, Corrientes,
Distrito Federal**, Entre Rios, Formosa, Jujuy, La Pampa, La Rioja, Mendoza,
Misiones, Neuquen, Rio Negro, Salta, San Juan, San Luis, Santa Cruz, Santa
Fe, Santiago del Estero, Tierra del Fuego, Tucuman; note - the national
territory is in the process of becoming a province; the US does not
recognize claims to Antarctica
Independence:
9 July 1816 (from Spain)
Constitution:
1 May 1853
Legal system:
mixture of US and West European legal systems; has not accepted compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
Revolution Day, 25 May (1810)
Executive branch:
president, vice president, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
bicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional) consists of an upper chamber
or Senate (Senado) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Deputies (Camara de
Diputados)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (Corte Suprema)
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government:
President Carlos Saul MENEM (since 8 July 1989); Vice President (position
vacant)
Political parties and leaders:
Justicialist Party (JP), Carlos Saul MENEM, Peronist umbrella political
organization; Radical Civic Union (UCR), Mario LOSADA, moderately left of
center; Union of the Democratic Center (UCD), Jorge AGUADO, conservative
party; Intransigent Party (PI), Dr. Oscar ALENDE, leftist party; several
provincial parties
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
Chamber of Deputies:
last held in three phases during late 1991 for half of 254 seats, total
current breakdown of seats - JP 122, UCR 85, UCD 10, other 37
President:
last held 14 May 1989 (next to be held NA May 1995); results - Carlos Saul
MENEM was elected
Senate:
last held May 1989, but provincial elections in late 1991 set the stage for
indirect elections by provincial senators for one-third of 46 seats in the
national senate in May 1992; total current breakdown of seats - JP 27, UCR
14, others 5
Communists:
some 70,000 members in various party organizations, including a small
nucleus of activists
:Argentina Government
Other political or pressure groups:
Peronist-dominated labor movement, General Confederation of Labor
(Peronist-leaning umbrella labor organization), Argentine Industrial Union
(manufacturers' association), Argentine Rural Society (large landowners'
association), business organizations, students, the Roman Catholic Church,
the Armed Forces
Member of:
AfDB, AG (observer), CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-6, G-11, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77,
GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, LORCS,
MERCOSUR, OAS, PCA, RG, UN, UNAVEM, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIIMOG,
UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Carlos ORTIZ DE ROZAS; Chancery at 1600 New Hampshire Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20009; telephone (202) 939-6400 through 6403; there are
Argentine Consulates General in Houston, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San
Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Consulates in Baltimore, Chicago,
and Los Angeles
US:
Ambassador Terence A. TODMAN; Embassy at 4300 Colombia, 1425 Buenos Aires
(mailing address is APO AA 34034); telephone [54] (1) 774- 7611 or 8811,
9911; Telex 18156 AMEMBAR
Flag:
three equal horizontal bands of light blue (top), white, and light blue;
centered in the white band is a radiant yellow sun with a human face known
as the Sun of May
:Argentina Economy
Overview:
Argentina is rich in natural resources and has a highly literate population,
an export-oriented agricultural sector, and a diversified industrial base.
Nevertheless, following decades of mismanagement and statist policies, the
economy has encountered major problems in recent years, leading to
escalating inflation and a recession during 1988-90. Since 1978, Argentina's
external debt has nearly doubled to $58 billion, creating severe debt
servicing difficulties and hurting the country's creditworthiness with
international lenders. Elected in 1989, President Menem has implemented a
comprehensive economic restructuring program that shows signs of reversing
Argentina's economic decline and putting it on a path of stable, sustainable
growth.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $101.2 billion, per capita $3,100; real growth
rate 5.5% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
83.8% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
6.4% (October 1991)
Budget:
revenues $13.6 billion; expenditures $16.6 billion, including capital
expenditures of $2.5 billion (1991)
Exports:
$12 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
commodities:
meat, wheat, corn, oilseed, hides, wool
partners:
US 12%, USSR, Italy, Brazil, Japan, Netherlands
Imports:
$8 billion (c.i.f., 1991)
commodities:
machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals, fuels and lubricants,
agricultural products
partners:
US 22%, Brazil, FRG, Bolivia, Japan, Italy, Netherlands
External debt:
$61 billion (January 1992)
Industrial production:
growth rate 20% (1991 est.); accounts for 30% of GDP
Electricity:
17,059,000 kW capacity; 47,357 million kWh produced, 1,450 kWh per capita
(1991)
Industries:
food processing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, textiles, chemicals and
petrochemicals, printing, metallurgy, steel
Agriculture:
accounts for 15% of GNP (including fishing); produces abundant food for both
domestic consumption and exports; among world's top five exporters of grain
and beef; principal crops - wheat, corn, sorghum, soybeans, sugar beets
Illicit drugs:
increasing use as a transshipment country for cocaine headed for the US and
Europe
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $1.0 billion; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $4.4 billion;
Communist countries (1970-89), $718 million
Currency:
peso (plural - pesos); 1 pesos = 100 centavos
:Argentina Economy
Exchange rates:
pesos per US$1 - 0.99076 (Feburary 1992), 0.95355 (1991), 0.48759 (1990),
0.04233 (1989), 0.00088 (1988), 0.00021 (1987)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
:Argentina Communications
Railroads:
34,172 km total (includes 209 km electrified); includes a mixture of
1.435-meter standard gauge, 1.676-meter broad gauge, 1.000-meter narrow
gauge, and 0.750-meter narrow gauge
Highways:
208,350 km total; 47,550 km paved, 39,500 km gravel, 101,000 km improved
earth, 20,300 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways:
11,000 km navigable
Pipelines:
crude oil 4,090 km; petroleum products 2,900 km; natural gas 9,918 km
Ports:
Bahia Blanca, Buenos Aires, Necochea, Rio Gallegos, Rosario, Santa Fe
Merchant marine:
98 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,235,385 GRT/1,952,307 DWT; includes
35 cargo, 6 refrigerated cargo, 6 container, 1 railcar carrier, 33 oil
tanker, 4 chemical tanker, 3 liquefied gas, 10 bulk; in addition, 2 naval
tankers and 1 military transport are sometimes used commercially
Civil air:
56 major transport aircraft
Airports:
1,702 total, 1,473 usable; 137 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with
runways over 3,659 m; 31 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 326 with runways
1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
extensive modern system; 2,650,000 telephones (12,000 public telephones);
microwave widely used; broadcast stations - 171 AM, no FM, 231 TV, 13
shortwave; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations; domestic satellite
network has 40 earth stations
:Argentina Defense Forces
Branches:
Argentine Army, Navy of the Argentine Republic, Argentine Air Force,
National Gendarmerie, Argentine Naval Prefecture (Coast Guard only),
National Aeronautical Police Force
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 8,101,856; 6,568,885 fit for military service; 276,457 reach
military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $700 million, 1.5% of GDP (1991)
:Armenia Geography
Total area:
29,800 km2
Land area:
28,400 km2
Comparative area:
slightly larger than Maryland
Land boundaries:
1,254 km total; Azerbaijan (east) 566 km, Azerbaijan (south) 221 km, Georgia
164 km, Iran 35 km, Turkey 268 km
Coastline:
none - landlocked
Maritime claims:
none - landlocked
Disputes:
violent and longstanding dispute with Azerbaijan over ethnically Armenian
exclave of Nagorno-Karabakh; some irredentism by Armenians living in
southern Georgia; traditional demands on former Armenian lands in Turkey
have greatly subsided
Climate:
continental, hot, and subject to drought
Terrain:
high Armenian Plateau with mountain; little forest land; fast flowing
rivers; good soil in Aras River valley
Natural resources:
small deposits of gold, copper, molybdenum, zinc, alumina
Land use:
10% arable land; NA% permanent crops; NA% meadows and pastures; NA% forest
and woodland; NA% other; NA% irrigated
Environment:
pollution of Razdan and Aras Rivers; air pollution in Yerevan
:Armenia People
Population:
3,415,566 (July 1992), growth rate 0.8% (1992)
Birth rate:
22 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
7 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
--7 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
35 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
68 years male, 74 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
2.7 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Armenian(s); adjective - Armenian
Ethnic divisions:
Armenian 93.3%, Russian 1.5%, Kurd 1.7%, other 3.5%
Religions:
Armenian Orthodox 94%
Languages:
Armenian 93%, Russian 2%, other 5%
Literacy:
NA% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (NA)
Labor force:
1,630,000; industry and construction 42%, agriculture and forestry 18%,
other 40%(1990)
Organized labor:
NA
:Armenia Government
Long-form name:
Republic of Armenia
Type:
republic
Capital:
Yerevan
Administrative divisions:
none - all rayons are under direct republic jurisdiction
Independence:
Armenian Republic formed 29 November 1920 and became part of the Soviet
Union on 30 December 1922; on 23 September 1991, Armenia renamed itself the
Republic of Armenia
Constitution:
adopted NA April 1978, effective NA
Legal system:
based on civil law system
National holiday:
NA
Executive branch:
President, Council of Ministers, prime minister
Legislative branch:
unicameral body - Supreme Soviet
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
President Levon Akopovich TER-PETROSYAN (since 16 October 1991), Vice
President Gagik ARUTYUNYAN (since 16 October 1991)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Gagik ARUTYUNYAN (since November 1991), First Deputy Prime
Minister Grant BAGRATYAN (since NA September 1990); Supreme Soviet Chairman
- Babken ARARKTSYAN
Political parties and leaders:
Armenian National Movement, Husik LAZARYAN, chairman; National
Self-Determination Association, Pakvyr HAYRIKIAN, chairman; National
Democratic Union, Vazgen MANUKYAN, chairman; Democratic Liberal Party,
Ramkavar AZATAKAN, chairman; Dashnatktsutyan Party, Rouben MIRZAKHANIN;
Chairman of Parliamentary opposition - Mekhak GABRIYELYAN
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
President:
last held 16 October 1990 (next to be held NA); results - elected by the
Supreme Soviet, Levon Akopovich TER-PETROSYAN 86%; radical nationalists
about 7%
Supreme Soviet:
last held 20 May 1990 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by
party NA; seats - (259 total); number of seats by party NA
Other political or pressure groups:
NA
Member of:
CSCE, NACC, UN, UNCTAD
Diplomatic representation:
Charge d'Affaires ad interim, Aleksandr ARZOUMANIAN
US:
Ambassador (vacant); Steven R. MANN, Charge d'Affaires; Embassy at Hotel
Hrazdan (telephone 8-011-7-8852-53-53-32); (mailing address is APO AE
09862); telephone 8-011-7-885-215-1122 (voice and FAX); 8-011-7-885-215-1144
(voice)
:Armenia Government
Flag:
NA
:Armenia Economy
Overview:
Armenia under the old centrally planned Soviet system had built up textile,
machine-building, and other industries and had become a key supplier to
sister republics. In turn, Armenia had depended on supplies of raw materials
and energy from the other republics. Most of these supplies enter the
republic by rail through Azerbaijan (85%) and Georgia (15%). The economy has
been severely hurt by ethnic strife with Azerbaijan over control of the
Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, a mostly Armenian-populated enclave
within the national boundaries of Azerbaijan. In addition to outright
warfare, the strife has included interdiction of Armenian imports on the
Azerbaijani railroads and expensive airlifts of supplies to beleagured
Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. An earthquake in December 1988 destroyed
about one-tenth of industrial capacity and housing, the repair of which has
not been possible because the supply of funds and real resources has been
disrupted by the reorganization and subsequent dismantling of the central
USSR administrative apparatus. Among facilities made unserviceable by the
earthquake are the Yerevan nuclear power plant, which had supplied 40% of
Armenia's needs for electric power and a plant that produced one-quarter of
the output of elevators in the former USSR. Armenia has some deposits of
nonferrous metal ores (bauxite, copper, zinc, and molybdenum) that are
largely unexploited. For the mid-term, Armenia's economic prospects seem
particularly bleak because of ethnic strife and the unusually high
dependence on outside areas, themselves in a chaotic state of
transformation.
GDP:
$NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate --10% (1991)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
91%
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget:
revenues $NA; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exports:
$176 million (f.o.b., 1990)
commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, ferrous and nonferrous metals, and
chemicals (1991)
partners:
NA
Imports:
$1.5 billion (c.i.f., 1990)
commodities:
machinery, energy, consumer goods (1991)
partners:
NA
External debt:
$650 million (December 1991 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate --9.6% (1991)
Electricity:
NA kW capacity; 10,433 million kWh produced, about 3,000 kWh per capita
(1990)
Industries:
diverse, including (in percent of output of former USSR) metalcutting
machine tools (6.7%), forging-pressing machines (4.7%), electric motors
(8.7%), tires (2.1%), knitted wear (5.6%), hosiery (2.3%), shoes (2.2%),
silk fabric (5.3%), washing machines (2.0%); also chemicals, trucks,
watches, instruments, and microelectronics
:Armenia Economy
Agriculture:
only 10% of land area is arable; employs 18% of labor force; citrus, cotton,
and dairy farming; vineyards near Yerevan are famous for brandy and other
liqueurs
Illicit drugs:
illicit producer of cannabis mostly for domestic consumption; used as a
transshipment point for illicit drugs to Western Europe
Economic aid:
NA
Currency:
as of May 1992, retaining ruble as currency
Exchange rates:
NA
Fiscal year:
calendar year
:Armenia Communications
Railroads:
840 km all 1.000-meter gauge (includes NA km electrified); does not include
industrial lines (1990)
Highways:
11,300 km total (1990); 10,500 km hard surfaced, 800 km earth
Inland waterways:
NA km perennially navigable
Pipelines:
NA
Ports:
none - landlocked
Merchant marine:
none:
landlocked
Civil air:
none
Airports:
NA total, NA usable; NA with permanent-surface runways; NA with runways over
3,659 m; NA with runways 2,440-3,659 m; NA with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
Armenia has about 260,000 telephones, of which about 110,000 are in Yerevan;
average telephone density is 8 per 100 persons; international connections to
other former republics of the USSR are by landline or microwave and to other
countries by satellite and by leased connection through the Moscow
international gateway switch; broadcast stations - 100% of population
receives Armenian and Russian TV programs; satellite earth station -
INTELSAT
:Armenia Defense Forces
Branches:
Republic Security Forces (internal and border troops), National Guard; CIS
Forces (Ground and Air Defense)
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, NA; NA fit for military service; NA reach military age (18)
annually
Defense expenditures:
$NA, NA% of GDP
:Aruba Geography
Total area:
193 km2
Land area:
193 km2
Comparative area:
slightly larger than Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
none
Coastline:
68.5 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone:
12 nm
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
none
Climate:
tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain:
flat with a few hills; scant vegetation
Natural resources:
negligible; white sandy beaches
Land use:
arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and
woodland 0%; other 100%
Environment:
lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt
Note:
28 km north of Venezuela
:Aruba People
Population:
64,692 (July 1992), growth rate 0.7% (1992)
Birth rate:
16 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
6 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
--3 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
9 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
73 years male, 80 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
1.8 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Aruban(s); adjective - Aruban
Ethnic divisions:
mixed European/Caribbean Indian 80%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, also small Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, and
Jewish minority
Languages:
Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English
dialect), English (widely spoken), Spanish
Literacy:
NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
Labor force:
NA, but most employment is in the tourist industry (1986)
Organized labor:
Aruban Workers' Federation (FTA)
:Aruba Government
Long-form name:
none
Type:
part of the Dutch realm - full autonomy in internal affairs obtained in 1986
upon separation from the Netherlands Antilles
Capital:
Oranjestad
Administrative divisions:
none (self-governing part of the Netherlands)
Independence:
none (part of the Dutch realm); note - in 1990, Aruba requested and received
from the Netherlands cancellation of the agreement to automatically give
independence to the island in 1996
Constitution:
1 January 1986
Legal system:
based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence
National holiday:
Flag Day, 18 March
Executive branch:
Dutch monarch, governor, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
unicameral legislature (Staten)
Judicial branch:
Joint High Court of Justice
Leaders:
Chief of State:
Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard (since 30 April 1980), represented by
Governor General Felipe B. TROMP (since 1 January 1986)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Nelson ODUBER (since NA February 1989)
Political parties and leaders:
Electoral Movement Party (MEP), Nelson ODUBER; Aruban People's Party (AVP),
Henny EMAN; National Democratic Action (ADN), Pedro Charro KELLY; New
Patriotic Party (PPN), Eddy WERLEMEN; Aruban Patriotic Party (PPA), Benny
NISBET; Aruban Democratic Party (PDA), Leo BERLINSKI; Democratic Action '86
(AD '86), Arturo ODUBER; Organization for Aruban Liberty (OHA), Glenbert
CROES; governing coalition includes the MEP, PPA, and ADN
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
Legislature:
last held 6 January 1989 (next to be held by NA January 1993); results -
percent of vote by party NA; seats - (21 total) MEP 10, AVP 8, ADN 1, PPN 1,
PPA 1
Member of:
ECLAC (associate), INTERPOL, IOC, UNESCO (associate), WCL, WTO (associate)
Diplomatic representation:
none (self-governing part of the Netherlands)
Flag:
blue with two narrow horizontal yellow stripes across the lower portion and
a red, four-pointed star outlined in white in the upper hoist-side corner
:Aruba Economy
Overview:
Tourism is the mainstay of the economy, although offshore banking and oil
refining and storage are also important. Hotel capacity expanded rapidly
between 1985 and 1989 and nearly doubled in 1990 alone. Unemployment has
steadily declined from about 20% in 1986 to about 3% in 1991. The reopening
of the local oil refinery, once a major source of employment and foreign
exchange earnings, promises to give the economy an additional boost.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $854 million, per capita $13,600; real growth
rate l0% (1990 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
8% (1990 est.)
Unemployment rate:
3% (1991 est.)
Budget:
revenues $145 million; expenditures $185 million, including capital
expenditures of $42 million (1988)
Exports:
$134.4 million (f.o.b., 1990)
commodities:
mostly petroleum products
partners:
US 64%, EC
Imports:
$488 million (f.o.b., 1990)
commodities:
food, consumer goods, manufactures
partners:
US 8%, EC
External debt:
$81 million (1987)
Industrial production:
growth rate NA
Electricity:
310,000 kW capacity; 945 million kWh produced, 15,000 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining
Agriculture:
poor quality soils and low rainfall limit agricultural activity to the
cultivation of aloes, some livestock, and fishing
Economic aid:
Western (non-US) countries ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-89), $220
million
Currency:
Aruban florin (plural - florins); 1 Aruban florin (Af.) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
Aruban florins (Af.) per US$1 - 1.7900 (fixed rate since 1986)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
:Aruba Communications
Highways:
Aruba has a system of all-weather highways
Ports:
Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas
Civil air:
Air Aruba has a fleet of 3 intermediate-range Boeing aircraft
Airports:
government-owned airport east of Oranjestad accepts transatlantic flights
Telecommunications:
generally adequate; extensive interisland radio relay links; 72,168
telephones; broadcast stations - 4 AM, 4 FM, 1 TV; 1 sea cable to Sint
Maarten
:Aruba Defense Forces
Note:
defense is the responsibility of the Netherlands
:Ashmore and Cartier Islands Geography
Total area:
5 km2
Land area:
5 km2; includes Ashmore Reef (West, Middle, and East Islets) and Cartier
Island
Comparative area:
about 8.5 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
none
Coastline:
74.1 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone:
12 nm
Continental shelf:
200 m (depth) or to depth of exploration
Exclusive fishing zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
3 nm
Disputes:
none
Climate:
tropical
Terrain:
low with sand and coral
Natural resources:
fish
Land use:
arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and
woodland 0%; other - grass and sand 100%
Environment:
surrounded by shoals and reefs; Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve
established in August 1983
Note:
located in extreme eastern Indian Ocean between Australia and Indonesia, 320
km off the northwest coast of Australia
:Ashmore and Cartier Islands People
Population:
no permanent inhabitants; seasonal caretakers
:Ashmore and Cartier Islands Government
Long-form name:
Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Type:
territory of Australia administered by the Australian Minister for Arts,
Sports, the Environment, Tourism, and Territories - Roslyn KELLY
Capital:
none; administered from Canberra, Australia
Administrative divisions:
none (territory of Australia)
Legal system:
relevant laws of the Northern Territory of Australia
Diplomatic representation:
none (territory of Australia)
:Ashmore and Cartier Islands Economy
Overview:
no economic activity
:Ashmore and Cartier Islands Communications
Ports:
none; offshore anchorage only
:Ashmore and Cartier Islands Defense Forces
Note:
defense is the responsibility of Australia; periodic visits by the Royal
Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force
:Atlantic Ocean Geography
Total area:
82,217,000 km2
Land area:
82,217,000 km2; includes Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Caribbean Sea, Davis Strait,
Denmark Strait, Drake Passage, Gulf of Mexico, Mediterranean Sea, North Sea,
Norwegian Sea, Weddell Sea, and other tributary water bodies
Comparative area:
slightly less than nine times the size of the US; second-largest of the
world's four oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, but larger than Indian Ocean
or Arctic Ocean)
Coastline:
111,866 km
Disputes:
some maritime disputes (see littoral states)
Climate:
tropical cyclones (hurricanes) develop off the coast of Africa near Cape
Verde and move westward into the Caribbean Sea; hurricanes can occur from
May to December, but are most frequent from August to November
Terrain:
surface usually covered with sea ice in Labrador Sea, Denmark Strait, and
Baltic Sea from October to June; clockwise warm water gyre (broad, circular
system of currents) in the north Atlantic, counterclockwise warm water gyre
in the south Atlantic; the ocean floor is dominated by the Mid-Atlantic
Ridge, a rugged north-south centerline for the entire Atlantic basin;
maximum depth is 8,605 meters in the Puerto Rico Trench
Natural resources:
oil and gas fields, fish, marine mammals (seals and whales), sand and gravel
aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules, precious stones
Environment:
endangered marine species include the manatee, seals, sea lions, turtles,
and whales; municipal sludge pollution off eastern US, southern Brazil, and
eastern Argentina; oil pollution in Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Lake
Maracaibo, Mediterranean Sea, and North Sea; industrial waste and municipal
sewage pollution in Baltic Sea, North Sea, and Mediterranean Sea; icebergs
common in Davis Strait, Denmark Strait, and the northwestern Atlantic from
February to August and have been spotted as far south as Bermuda and the
Madeira Islands; icebergs from Antarctica occur in the extreme southern
Atlantic
Note:
ships subject to superstructure icing in extreme north Atlantic from October
to May and extreme south Atlantic from May to October; persistent fog can be
a hazard to shipping from May to September; major choke points include the
Dardanelles, Strait of Gibraltar, access to the Panama and Suez Canals;
strategic straits include the Dover Strait, Straits of Florida, Mona
Passage, The Sound (Oresund), and Windward Passage; north Atlantic shipping
lanes subject to icebergs from February to August; the Equator divides the
Atlantic Ocean into the North Atlantic Ocean and South Atlantic Ocean
Kiel Canal and Saint Lawrence Seaway are two important waterways
:Atlantic Ocean Economy
Overview:
Economic activity is limited to exploitation of natural resources,
especially fish, dredging aragonite sands (The Bahamas), and crude oil and
natural gas production (Caribbean Sea and North Sea).
:Atlantic Ocean Communications
Ports:
Alexandria (Egypt), Algiers (Algeria), Antwerp (Belgium), Barcelona (Spain),
Buenos Aires (Argentina), Casablanca (Morocco), Colon (Panama), Copenhagen
(Denmark), Dakar (Senegal), Gdansk (Poland), Hamburg (Germany), Helsinki
(Finland), Las Palmas (Canary Islands, Spain), Le Havre (France), Lisbon
(Portugal), London (UK), Marseille (France), Montevideo (Uruguay), Montreal
(Canada), Naples (Italy), New Orleans (US), New York (US), Oran (Algeria),
Oslo (Norway), Piraeus (Greece), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Rotterdam
(Netherlands), Saint Petersburg (formerly Leningrad; Russia), Stockholm
(Sweden)
Telecommunications:
numerous submarine cables with most between continental Europe and the UK,
North America and the UK, and in the Mediterranean; numerous direct links
across Atlantic via INTELSAT satellite network
:Australia Geography
Total area:
7,686,850 km2
Land area:
7,617,930 km2; includes Macquarie Island
Comparative area:
slightly smaller than the US
Land boundaries:
none
Coastline:
25,760 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone:
12 nm
Continental shelf:
200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
territorial claim in Antarctica (Australian Antarctic Territory)
Climate:
generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north
Terrain:
mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast
Natural resources:
bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten,
mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, crude oil
Land use:
arable land 6%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 58%; forest and
woodland 14%; other 22%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Environment:
subject to severe droughts and floods; cyclones along coast; limited
freshwater availability; irrigated soil degradation; regular, tropical,
invigorating, sea breeze known as the doctor occurs along west coast in
summer; desertification
Note:
world's smallest continent but sixth-largest country
:Australia People
Population:
17,576,354 (July 1992), growth rate 1.4% (1992)
Birth rate:
15 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
7 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
7 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
8 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
74 years male, 80 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
1.8 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Australian(s); adjective - Australian
Ethnic divisions:
Caucasian 95%, Asian 4%, Aboriginal and other 1%
Religions:
Anglican 26.1%, Roman Catholic 26.0%, other Christian 24.3%
Languages:
English, native languages
Literacy:
100% (male 100%, female 100%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.)
Labor force:
8,630,000 (September 1991); finance and services 33.8%, public and community
services 22.3%, wholesale and retail trade 20.1%, manufacturing and industry
16.2%, agriculture 6.1% (1987)
Organized labor:
40% of labor force (November 1991)
:Australia Government
Long-form name:
Commonwealth of Australia
Type:
federal parliamentary state
Capital:
Canberra
Administrative divisions:
6 states and 2 territories*; Australian Capital Territory*, New South Wales,
Northern Territory*, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria,
Western Australia
Independence:
1 January 1901 (federation of UK colonies)
Constitution:
9 July 1900, effective 1 January 1901
Dependent areas:
Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands,
Coral Sea Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Norfolk Island
Legal system:
based on English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
reservations
National holiday:
Australia Day, 26 January
Executive branch:
British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister,
Cabinet
Legislative branch:
bicameral Federal Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a
lower house or House of Representatives
Judicial branch:
High Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since February 1952), represented by Governor General
William George HAYDEN (since 16 February 1989)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Paul John KEATING (since 20 December 1991); Deputy Prime
Minister Brian HOWE (since 4 June 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
government:
Australian Labor Party, Paul John KEATING
opposition:
Liberal Party, John HEWSON; National Party, Timothy FISCHER; Australian
Democratic Party, John COULTER
Suffrage:
universal and compulsory at age 18
Elections:
House of Representatives:
last held 24 March 1990 (next to be held by NA November 1993); results -
Labor 39.7%, Liberal-National 43%, Australian Democrats and independents
11.1%; seats - (148 total) Labor 78, Liberal-National 69, independent 1
Senate:
last held 11 July 1987 (next to be held by NA July 1993); results - Labor
43%, Liberal-National 42%, Australian Democrats 8%, independents 2%; seats -
(76 total) Labor 32, Liberal-National 34, Australian Democrats 7,
independents 3
Communists:
4,000 members (est.)
:Australia Government
Other political or pressure groups:
Australian Democratic Labor Party (anti-Communist Labor Party splinter
group); Peace and Nuclear Disarmament Action (Nuclear Disarmament Party
splinter group)
Member of:
AfDB, AG (observer), ANZUS, APEC, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, C, CCC, COCOM,
CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, GATT, G-8, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA,
IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU,
LORCS, MTCR, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OECD, PCA, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIIMOG, UNTAG, UNTSO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Michael J. COOK; Chancery at 1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20036; telephone (202) 797-3000; there are Australian
Consulates General in Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York,
Pago Pago (American Samoa), and San Francisco
US:
Ambassador Melvin F. SEMBLER; Moonah Place, Yarralumla, Canberra, Australian
Capital Territory 2600 (mailing address is APO AP 96549); telephone [61] (6)
270-5000; FAX [61] (6) 270-5970; there are US Consulates General in
Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney, and a Consulate in Brisbane
Flag:
blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and a large
seven-pointed star in the lower hoist-side quadrant; the remaining half is a
representation of the Southern Cross constellation in white with one small
five-pointed star and four, larger, seven-pointed stars
:Australia Economy
Overview:
Australia has a prosperous Western-style capitalist economy, with a per
capita GDP comparable to levels in industrialized West European countries.
Rich in natural resources, Australia is a major exporter of agricultural
products, minerals, metals, and fossil fuels. Of the top 25 exports, 21 are
primary products, so that, as happened during 1983-84, a downturn in world
commodity prices can have a big impact on the economy. The government is
pushing for increased exports of manufactured goods, but competition in
international markets continues to be severe.
GDP:
purchasing power equivalent - $280.8 billion, per capita $16,200; real
growth rate --0.6% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.3% (September 1991)
Unemployment rate:
10.5% (November 1991)
Budget:
revenues $76.9 billion; expenditures $75.4 billion, including capital
expenditures of NA (FY91)
Exports:
$41.7 billion (f.o.b., FY91)
commodities:
metals, minerals, coal, wool, cereals, meat, manufacturers
partners:
Japan 26%, US 11%, NZ 6%, South Korea 4%, Singapore 4%, UK, Taiwan, Hong
Kong
Imports:
$37.8 billion (f.o.b., FY91)
commodities:
manufactured raw materials, capital equipment, consumer goods
partners:
US 24%, Japan 19%, UK 6%, FRG 7%, NZ 4% (1990)
External debt:
$130.4 billion (June 1991)
Industrial production:
growth rate --0.9% (1991); accounts for 32% of GDP
Electricity:
40,000,000 kW capacity; 155,000 million kWh produced, 8,960 kWh per capita
(1991)
Industries:
mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals,
steel, motor vehicles
Agriculture:
accounts for 5% of GNP and 37% of export revenues; world's largest exporter
of beef and wool, second-largest for mutton, and among top wheat exporters;
major crops - wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruit; livestock - cattle, sheep,
poultry
Illicit drugs:
Tasmania is one of the world's major suppliers of licit opiate products;
government maintains strict controls over areas of opium poppy cultivation
and output of poppy straw concentrate
Economic aid:
donor - ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $10.4 billion
Currency:
Australian dollar (plural - dollars); 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
Australian dollars ($A) per US$1 - 1.3360 (January 1992), 1.2836 (1991),
1.2618 (1989), 1.2752 (1988), 1.4267 (1987)
:Australia Economy
Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June
:Australia Communications
Railroads:
40,478 km total; 7,970 km 1.600-meter gauge, 16,201 km 1.435-meter standard
gauge, 16,307 km 1.067-meter gauge; 183 km dual gauge; 1,130 km electrified;
government owned (except for a few hundred kilometers of privately owned
track) (1985)
Highways:
837,872 km total; 243,750 km paved, 228,396 km gravel, crushed stone, or
stabilized soil surface, 365,726 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways:
8,368 km; mainly by small, shallow-draft craft
Pipelines:
crude oil 2,500 km; petroleum products 500 km; natural gas 5,600 km
Ports:
Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Devonport, Fremantle, Geelong, Hobart,
Launceston, Mackay, Melbourne, Sydney, Townsville
Merchant marine:
85 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,324,803 GRT/3,504,385 DWT; includes
2 short-sea passenger, 8 cargo, 8 container, 11 roll-on/roll-off, 1 vehicle
carrier, 17 petroleum tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 4 liquefied gas, 1
combination ore/oil, 30 bulk, 1 combination bulk
Civil air:
about 150 major transport aircraft
Airports:
481 total, 440 usable; 237 with permanent-surface runways, 1 with runway
over 3,659 m; 20 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 268 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
good international and domestic service; 8.7 million telephones; broadcast
stations - 258 AM, 67 FM, 134 TV; submarine cables to New Zealand, Papua New
Guinea, and Indonesia; domestic satellite service; satellite stations - 4
Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 6 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
:Australia Defense Forces
Branches:
Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Air Force
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 4,769,005; 4,153,060 fit for military service; 138,117 reach
military age (17) annually
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $7.5 billion, 2.4% of GDP (FY92 budget)
:Austria Geography
Total area:
83,850 km2
Land area:
82,730 km2
Comparative area:
slightly smaller than Maine
Land boundaries:
2,591 km total; Czechoslovakia 548 km, Germany 784 km, Hungary 366 km, Italy
430 km, Liechtenstein 37 km, Slovenia 262 km, Switzerland 164 km
Coastline:
none - landlocked
Maritime claims:
none - landlocked
Disputes:
none
Climate:
temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain in lowlands
and snow in mountains; cool summers with occasional showers
Terrain:
mostly mountains with Alps in west and south; mostly flat, with gentle
slopes along eastern and northern margins
Natural resources:
iron ore, crude oil, timber, magnesite, aluminum, lead, coal, lignite,
copper, hydropower
Land use:
arable land 17%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 24%; forest and
woodland 39%; other 19%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Environment:
because of steep slopes, poor soils, and cold temperatures, population is
concentrated on eastern lowlands
Note:
landlocked; strategic location at the crossroads of central Europe with many
easily traversable Alpine passes and valleys; major river is the Danube
:Austria People
Population:
7,867,541 (July 1992), growth rate 0.7% (1992)
Birth rate:
12 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
11 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
5 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
8 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
73 years male, 80 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
1.5 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Austrian(s); adjective - Austrian
Ethnic divisions:
German 99.4%, Croatian 0.3%, Slovene 0.2%, other 0.1%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant 6%, other 9%
Languages:
German
Literacy:
99% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1974 est.)
Labor force:
3,470,000 (1989); services 56.4%, industry and crafts 35.4%, agriculture and
forestry 8.1%; an estimated 200,000 Austrians are employed in other European
countries; foreign laborers in Austria number 177,840, about 6% of labor
force (1988)
Organized labor:
60.1% of work force; the Austrian Trade Union Federation has 1,644,408
members (1989)
:Austria Government
Long-form name:
Republic of Austria
Type:
federal republic
Capital:
Vienna
Administrative divisions:
9 states (bundeslander, singular - bundesland); Burgenland, Karnten,
Niederosterreich, Oberosterreich, Salzburg, Steiermark, Tirol, Vorarlberg,
Wien
Independence:
12 November 1918 (from Austro-Hungarian Empire)
Constitution:
1920; revised 1929 (reinstated 1945)
Legal system:
civil law system with Roman law origin; judicial review of legislative acts
by a Constitutional Court; separate administrative and civil/penal supreme
courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
National Day, 26 October (1955)
Executive branch:
president, chancellor, vice chancellor, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
bicameral Federal Assembly (Bundesversammlung) consists of an upper council
or Federal Council (Bundesrat) and a lower council or National Council
(Nationalrat)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Judicial Court (Oberster Gerichtshof) for civil and criminal cases,
Administrative Court (Verwaltungsgerichtshof) for bureaucratic cases,
Constitutional Court (Verfassungsgerichtshof) for constitutional cases
Leaders:
Chief of State:
President Thomas KLESTIL (since 8 July 1992)
Head of Government:
Chancellor Franz VRANITZKY (since 16 June 1986); Vice Chancellor Erhard
BUSEK (since 2 July 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPO), Franz VRANITZKY, chairman;
Austrian People's Party (OVP), Erhard BUSEK, chairman; Freedom Party of
Austria (FPO), Jorg HAIDER, chairman; Communist Party (KPO), Walter
SILBERMAYER, chairman; Green Alternative List (GAL), Johannes VOGGENHUBER,
chairman
Suffrage:
universal at age 19; compulsory for presidential elections
Elections:
National Council:
last held 7 October 1990 (next to be held October 1994); results - SPO 43%,
OVP 32.1%, FPO 16.6%, GAL 4.5%, KPO 0.7%, other 0.32%; seats - (183 total)
SPO 80, OVP 60, FPO 33, GAL 10
President:
last held 24 May 1992 (next to be held 1996); results of Second Ballot -
Thomas KLESTIL 57%, Rudolf STREICHER 43%
Communists:
membership 15,000 est.; activists 7,000-8,000
:Austria Government
Other political or pressure groups:
Federal Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Austrian Trade Union Federation
(primarily Socialist); three composite leagues of the Austrian People's
Party (OVP) representing business, labor, and farmers; OVP-oriented League
of Austrian Industrialists; Roman Catholic Church, including its chief lay
organization, Catholic Action
Member of:
AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, COCOM, CSCE,
EBRD, ECE, EFTA, ESA, FAO, G-9, GATT, HG, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM,
ISO, ITU, LORCS, MTRC, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNDOF, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UNTSO, UPU, WCL,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Friedrich HOESS; Embassy at 3524 International Court NW,
Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 895-6700; there are Austrian
Consulates General in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York
US:
Ambassador Roy Michael HUFFINGTON; Embassy at Boltzmanngasse 16, A-1091,
Vienna (mailing address is APO AE 09108-0001); telephone [43] (1) 31-55-11;
FAX [43] (1) 310-0682; there is a US Consulate General in Salzburg
Flag:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and red
:Austria Economy
Overview:
Austria boasts a prosperous and stable capitalist economy with a sizable
proportion of nationalized industry and extensive welfare benefits. Thanks
to an excellent raw material endowment, a technically skilled labor force,
and strong links to German industrial firms, Austria occupies specialized
niches in European industry and services (tourism, banking) and produces
almost enough food to feed itself with only 8% of the labor force in
agriculture. Improved export prospects resulting from German unification and
the opening of Eastern Europe, boosted the economy during 1990 and to a
lesser extent in 1991. GDP growth slowed from 4.9% in 1990 to 3% in 1991 -
mainly due to the weaker world economy - and is expected to drop to around
2% in 1992. Inflation is forecasted at about 4%, while unemployment probably
will increase moderately through 1992 before declining in 1993. Living
standards are comparable with the large industrial countries of Western
Europe. Problems for the l990s include an aging population, the high level
of subsidies, and the struggle to keep welfare benefits within budget
capabilities. Austria, which has applied for EC membership, was involved in
EC and European Free Trade Association negotiations for a European Economic
Area and will have to adapt its economy to achieve freer interchange of
goods, services, capital, and labor within the EC.
GDP:
purchasing power equivalent - $164.1 billion, per capita $20,985; real
growth rate 3% (1991)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.3% (1991, annual rate)
Unemployment rate:
5.8% (1991)
Budget:
revenues $47.7 billion; expenditures $53.0 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (1990)
Exports:
$40 billion (1991)
commodities:
machinery and equipment, iron and steel, lumber, textiles, paper products,
chemicals
partners:
EC 65.8%, (Germany 39%), EFTA 9.1%, Eastern Europe/former USSR 9.0%, Japan
1.7%, US 2.8%
Imports:
$50.2 billion (1991)
commodities:
petroleum, foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, vehicles, chemicals,
textiles and clothing, pharmaceuticals
partners:
EC 67.8% (Germany is 43.0%), EFTA 6.9%, Eastern Europe/former USSR 6.0%,
Japan 4.8%, US 3.9%
External debt:
$11.8 billion (1990 est.)
Industrial production:
2.0% (1991)
Electricity:
17,600,000 kW capacity; 49,500 million kWh produced, 6,500 kWh per capita
(1991)
Industries:
foods, iron and steel, machines, textiles, chemicals, electrical, paper and
pulp, tourism, mining
:Austria Economy
Agriculture:
accounts for 3.2% of GDP (including forestry); principal crops and animals -
grains, fruit, potatoes, sugar beets, sawn wood, cattle, pigs, poultry;
80-90% self-sufficient in food
Economic aid:
donor - ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $2.4 billion
Currency:
Austrian schilling (plural - schillings); 1 Austrian schilling (S) = 100
groschen
Exchange rates:
Austrian schillings (S) per US$1 - 11.068 (January 1992), 11.676 (1991),
11.370 (1990), 13.231 (1989), 12.348 (1988), 12.643 (1987)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
:Austria Communications
Railroads:
6,028 km total; 5,388 km government owned and 640 km privately owned (1.435-
and 1.000-meter gauge); 5,403 km 1.435-meter standard gauge of which 3,051
km is electrified and 1,520 km is double tracked; 363 km 0.760-meter narrow
gauge of which 91 km is electrified
Highways:
95,412 km total; 34,612 km are the primary network (including 1,012 km of
autobahn, 10,400 km of federal, and 23,200 km of provincial roads); of this
number, 21,812 km are paved and 12,800 km are unpaved; in addition, there
are 60,800 km of communal roads (mostly gravel, crushed stone, earth)
Inland waterways:
446 km
Pipelines:
crude oil 554 km; natural gas 2,611 km; petroleum products 171 km
Ports:
Vienna, Linz (river ports)
Merchant marine:
31 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 130,966 GRT/219,130 DWT; includes 26
cargo, 1 container, 4 bulk
Civil air:
25 major transport aircraft
Airports:
55 total, 55 usable; 20 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
over 3,659 m; 6 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
highly developed and efficient; 4,014,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 6
AM, 21 (545 repeaters) FM, 47 (870 repeaters) TV; satellite ground stations
for Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, Indian Ocean INTELSAT, and EUTELSAT systems
:Austria Defense Forces
Branches:
Army, Flying Division, Gendarmerie
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 2,011,895; 1,693,244 fit for military service; 51,788 reach
military age (19) annually
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $1.8 billion, 1% of GDP (1991)
:Azerbaijan Geography
Total area:
86,600 km2
Land area:
86,100 km2; includes the Nakhichevan' Autonomous Republic and the
Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast; region's autonomy was abolished by
Azerbaijan Supreme Soviet on 26 November 1991
Comparative area:
slightly larger than Maine
Land boundaries:
2,013 km total; Armenia (west) 566 km, Armenia (southwest) 221 km, Georgia
322 km, Iran (south) 432 km, Iran (southwest) 179 km, Russia 284 km, Turkey
9 km
Coastline:
none - landlocked
Maritime claims:
NA
Exclusive fishing zone:
NA nm; Azerbaijani claims in Caspian Sea unknown; 10 nm fishing zone
provided for in 1940 treaty regarding trade and navigation between Soviet
Union and Iran
Disputes:
violent and longstanding dispute with Armenia over status of
Nagorno-Karabakh, lesser dispute concerns Nakhichevan'; some Azeris desire
absorption of and/or unification with the ethnically Azeri portion of Iran;
minor irredentist disputes along Georgia border
Climate:
dry, semiarid steppe; subject to drought
Terrain:
large, flat Kura Lowland (much of it below sea level) with Great Caucasus
Mountains to the north, Karabakh Upland in west; Baku lies on Aspheson
Peninsula that juts into Caspian Sea
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, nonferrous metals, alumina
Land use:
NA% arable land; NA% permanent crops; NA% meadows and pastures; NA% forest
and woodland; NA% other; includes 70% of cultivated land irrigated (1.2
million hectares)
Environment:
local scientists consider Apsheron Peninsula, including Baku and Sumgait,
and the Caspian Sea to be "most ecologically devastated area in the world"
because of severe air and water pollution
Note:
landlocked; major polluters are oil, gas, and chemical industries
:Azerbaijan People
Population:
7,450,787 (July 1992), growth rate 1.6% (1992)
Birth rate:
26 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
7 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
--3 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
45 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
65 years male, 73 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
2.9 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Azerbaijani(s); adjective - Azerbaijani
Ethnic divisions:
Azeri 82.7%, Russian 5.6%, Armenian 5.6%, Daghestanis 3.2%, other 2.9%; note
- Armenian share may be less than 5.6% because many Armenians have fled the
ethnic violence since 1989 census
Religions:
Moslem 87%, Russian Orthodox 5.6%, Armenian Orthodox 5.6%, other 1.8%
Languages:
Azeri 82%, Russian 7%, Armenian 5%, other 6%
Literacy:
NA% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1992 est.)
Labor force:
2,789,000; agriculture and forestry 32%, industry and construction 26%,
other 42% (1990)
Organized labor:
NA (1992)
:Azerbaijan Government
Long-form name:
Azerbaijani Republic; short-form name: Azerbaijan
Type:
republic
Capital:
Baku (Baky)
Administrative divisions:
1 autonomous republic (avtomnaya respublika), Nakhichevan' (administrative
center at Nakhichevan'); note - all rayons except for the exclave of
Nakhichevan' are under direct republic jurisdiction;1 autonomous oblast,
Nagorno-Karabakh (officially abolished by Azerbaijani Supreme Soviet on 26
November 1991) has declared itself Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
Independence:
28 May 1918; on 28 April 1920, Azerbaijan became the Soviet Socialist
Republic of Azerbaijan; on 30 April 1992 it became the Azerbaijani Republic;
independence declared 30 August 1991
Constitution:
adopted NA April 1978
Legal system:
based on civil law system
National holiday:
NA
Executive branch:
president, Council of Ministers
Legislative branch:
National Parliament (Milli Majlis) was formed on the basis of the National
Council (Milli Shura)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
President-elect Ebulfez ELCIBEY (since 7 June 1992)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Rahim GUSEYNOV (since 14 May 1992)
Political parties and leaders:
NA
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
National Parliament:
last held NA September 1990 (next expected to be held late 1992); results -
seats - (360 total) Communists 280, Democratic Bloc 45 (grouping of
opposition parties), other 15, vacant 20; note - these figures are
approximate
President:
held 8 September 1991 (next to be held 7 June 1992); results - Ebulfez
ELCIBEY (6,390 unofficial)
Other political or pressure groups:
Self-proclaimed Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh Republic
Member of:
CIS, CSCE, IMF, OIC, UN, UNCTAD
Diplomatic representation:
NA
US:
Ambassador (vacant); Robert MILES, Charge d'Affaires; Embassy at Hotel
Intourist (telephone 8-011-7-8922-91-79-56) plus 8 hours; (mailing address
is APO New York is 09862); telephone NA
:Azerbaijan Government
Flag:
three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), red, and green; a crescent and
eight-pointed star in white are centered in red band
:Azerbaijan Economy
Overview:
Azerbaijan is less developed industrially than either Armenia or Georgia,
the other Transcaucasian states. It resembles the Central Asian states in
its majority Muslim population, high structural unemployment, and low
standard of living. The economy's most prominent products are cotton, oil,
and gas. Production from the Caspian oil and gas field has been in decline
for several years. With foreign assistance, the oil industry might generate
the funds needed to spur industrial development. However, civil unrest,
marked by armed conflict in the Nagorno-Karabakh region between Muslim
Azeris and Christian Armenians, makes foreign investors wary. Azerbaijan
accounts for 1.5% to 2% of the capital stock and output of the former Soviet
Union. Although immediate economic prospects are not favorable because of
civil strife, lack of economic reform, political disputes about new economic
arrangements, and the skittishness of foreign investors, Azerbaijan's
economic performance was the best of all former Soviet republics in 1991
largely because of its reliance on domestic resources for industrial output.
GDP:
$NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate --0.7% (1991)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
87% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget:
revenues $NA; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992)
Exports:
$780 million (f.o.b., 1991)
commodities:
oil and gas, chemicals, oilfield equipment, textiles, cotton (1991)
partners:
mostly CIS countries
Imports:
$2.2 billion (c.i.f., 1990)
commodities:
machinery and parts, consumer durables, foodstuffs, textiles (1991)
External debt:
$1.3 billion (1991 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate 3.8% (1991)
Electricity:
6,025,000 kW capacity; 23,300 million kWh produced, 3,280 kWh per capita
(1991)
Industries:
petroleum and natural gas, petroleum products, oilfield equipment; steel,
iron ore, cement; chemicals and petrochemicals; textiles
Agriculture:
cotton, grain, rice, grapes, fruit, vegetables, tea, tobacco; cattle, pigs,
sheep and goats
Illicit drugs:
illicit producer of cannabis and opium; mostly for domestic consumption;
status of government eradication programs unknown; used as transshipment
points for illicit drugs to Western Europe
Economic aid:
NA
Currency:
as of May 1992, retaining ruble as currency
Exchange rates:
NA
Fiscal year:
calendar year
:Azerbaijan Communications
Railroads:
2,090 km (includes NA km electrified); does not include industrial lines
(1990)
Highways:
36,700 km total (1990); 31,800 km hard surfaced; 4,900 km earth
Inland waterways:
NA km perennially navigable
Pipelines:
NA
Ports:
inland - Baku (Baky)
Merchant marine:
none - landlocked
Civil air:
none
Airports:
NA
Telecommunications:
quality of local telephone service is poor; connections to other former USSR
republics by landline or microwave and to countries beyond the former USSR
via the Moscow international gateway switch; Azeri and Russian TV broadcasts
are received; Turkish and Iranian TV broadcasts are received from INTELSAT
through a TV receive-only earth station
:Azerbaijan Defense Forces
Branches:
Republic Security Forces (internal and border troops), National Guard; CIS
Forces (Ground, Navy, Air, Air Defense)
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, NA; NA fit for military service; NA reach military age (18)
annually
Defense expenditures:
$NA million, NA% of GDP
:The Bahamas Geography
Total area:
13,940 km2
Land area:
10,070 km2
Comparative area:
slightly larger than Connecticut
Land boundaries:
none
Coastline:
3,542 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf:
200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation
Exclusive fishing zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
3 nm
Disputes:
none
Climate:
tropical marine; moderated by warm waters of Gulf Stream
Terrain:
long, flat coral formations with some low rounded hills
Natural resources:
salt, aragonite, timber
Land use:
arable land 1%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures NEGL%; forest
and woodland 32%; other 67%
Environment:
subject to hurricanes and other tropical storms that cause extensive flood
damage
Note:
strategic location adjacent to US and Cuba; extensive island chain
:The Bahamas People
Population:
255,811 (July 1992), growth rate 1.4% (1992)
Birth rate:
19 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
19 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
69 years male, 76 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
2.2 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun--Bahamian(s); adjective--Bahamian
Ethnic divisions:
black 85%, white 15%
Religions:
Baptist 32%, Anglican 20%, Roman Catholic 19%, Methodist 6%, Church of God
6%, other Protestant 12%, none or unknown 3%, other 2% (1980)
Languages:
English; some Creole among Haitian immigrants
Literacy:
90% (male 90%, female 89%) age 15 and over but definition of literacy not
available (1963 est.)
Labor force:
127,400; government 30%, hotels and restaurants 25%, business services
10%, agriculture 5% (1989)
Organized labor:
25% of labor force
:The Bahamas Government
Long-form name:
The Commonwealth of The Bahamas
Type:
commonwealth
Capital:
Nassau
Administrative divisions:
21 districts; Abaco, Acklins Island, Andros Island, Berry Islands,
Biminis, Cat Island, Cay Lobos, Crooked Island, Eleuthera, Exuma, Grand
Bahama, Harbour Island, Inagua, Long Cay, Long Island, Mayaguana,
New Providence, Ragged Island, Rum Cay, San Salvador,
Spanish Wells
Independence:
10 July 1973 (from UK)
Constitution:
10 July 1973
Legal system:
based on English common law
National holiday:
National Day, 10 July (1973)
Executive branch:
British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime
minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower
house or House of Assembly
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by
Acting Governor General Sir Clifford DARLING (since 2 January 1992)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Sir Lynden Oscar PINDLING (since 16 January 1967)
Political parties and leaders:
Progressive Liberal Party (PLP), Sir Lynden O. PINDLING; Free National
Movement (FNM), Hubert Alexander INGRAHAM
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
House of Assembly:
last held 19 June 1987 (next to be held by NA June 1992);
results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(49 total) PLP 32, FNM 17
*** No entry for this item ***
Other political or pressure groups:
Vanguard Nationalist and Socialist Party (VNSP), a small leftist party
headed
by Lionel CAREY; Trade Union Congress (TUC), headed by Arlington MILLER
Member of:
ACP, C, CCC, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO,
ICFTU, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM,
OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Margaret E. McDONALD; Chancery at 2220 Massachusetts
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 319-2660; there are
Bahamian Consulates General in Miami and New York;
:The Bahamas Government
US:
Ambassador Chic HECHT; Embassy at Mosmar Building, Queen Street, Nassau
(mailing address is P. O. Box N-8197, Nassau); telephone (809) 322-1181 or
328-2206; FAX (809) 328-7838
Diplomatic representation:
*** No entry for this item ***
Flag:
three equal horizontal bands of aquamarine (top), gold, and aquamarine with
a black equilateral triangle based on the hoist side
:The Bahamas Economy
Overview:
The Bahamas is a stable, middle-income developing nation whose economy is
based primarily on tourism and offshore banking. Tourism alone provides
about 50% of GDP and directly or indirectly employs about 50,000 people or
40% of the local work force. The economy has slackened in recent years, as
the annual increase in the number of tourists slowed. Nonetheless, the per
capita GDP of $9,900 is one of the highest in the region.
GDP:
purchasing power equivalent--$2.5 billion, per capita $9,900; real growth
rate 1.0% (1990 est.)
*** No entry for this item ***
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
7.3% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
16.0% (1991)
Budget:
revenues $627.5 million; expenditures $727.5 million, including capital
expenditures of $100 million (1992, projected)
*** No entry for this item ***
Exports:
$306 million (f.o.b., 1991 est.);
commodities:
pharmaceuticals, cement, rum, crawfish;
partners:
US 41%, Norway 30%, Denmark 4%
Imports:
$1.14 billion (c.i.f., 1991 est.);
commodities:
foodstuffs, manufactured goods, mineral fuels;
partners:
US 35%, Nigeria 21%, Japan 13%, Angola 11%
External debt:
$1.2 billion (December 1990)
Industrial production:
growth rate 3% (1990); accounts for 15% of GDP
Electricity:
368,000 kw capacity; 857 million kWh produced 3,339 kWh per capita
(1991)
Industries:
tourism, banking, cement, oil refining and transshipment, salt production,
rum, aragonite, pharmaceuticals, spiral welded steel pipe
*** No entry for this item ***
Agriculture:
accounts for less than 5% of GDP; dominated by small-scale producers;
principal products--citrus fruit, vegetables, poultry; large net importer of
food
*** No entry for this item ***
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for cocaine
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY85-89), $1.0 million; Western
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $345
million
Currency:
Bahamian dollar (plural--dollars); 1 Bahamian dollar (B$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
Bahamian dollar (B$) per US$1--1.00 (fixed rate)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
:The Bahamas Communications
Highways:
2,400 km total; 1,350 km paved, 1,050 km gravel
Ports:
Freeport, Nassau
Merchant marine:
778 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 18,129,173 GRT/30,002,421 DWT;
includes 48 passenger, 19 short-sea passenger, 152 cargo, 37
roll-on/roll-off cargo, 42 container, 6 vehicle carrier, 1 railcar carrier,
172 petroleum tanker, 9 liquefied gas, 16 combination ore/oil, 47 chemical
tanker, 1 specialized tanker, 143 bulk, 7 combination bulk, 78 refrigerated
cargo;
note--a flag of convenience registry
*** No entry for this item ***
Civil air:
11 major transport aircraft
Airports:
59 total, 54 usable; 30 with permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3, 659 m; 26 with runways
1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
highly developed; 99,000 telephones in totally automatic system;
tropospheric scatter and submarine cable links to Florida; broadcast
stations--3 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; 3 coaxial submarine cables; 1 Atlantic Ocean
INTELSAT earth station
*** No entry for this item ***
:The Bahamas Defense Forces
Branches:
Royal Bahamas Defense Force (Coast Guard only), Royal Bahamas Police
Branches:
Force
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 68,020; NA fit for military service
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion--$65 million, 2.7% of GDP (1990)
:Bahrain Geography
Total area:
620 km2
Land area:
620 km2
Comparative area:
slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
none
Coastline:
161 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf:
not specific
Territorial sea:
3 nm
Disputes:
territorial dispute with Qatar over the Hawar Islands; maritime boundary
with Qatar
Climate:
arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers
Terrain:
mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment
Natural resources:
oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish
Land use:
arable land 2%; permanent crops 2%; meadows and pastures 6%; forest and
woodland 0%; other 90%, includes irrigated NEGL%
Environment:
subsurface water sources being rapidly depleted (requires development of
desalination facilities); dust storms; desertification
Note:
close to primary Middle Eastern crude oil sources; strategic location in
Persian Gulf through which much of Western world's crude oil must transit to
reach open ocean
:Bahrain People
Population:
551,513 (July 1992), growth rate 3.1% (1992)
Birth rate:
27 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
4 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
7 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
21 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
70 years male, 75 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
4.0 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Bahraini(s); adjective - Bahraini
Ethnic divisions:
Bahraini 63%, Asian 13%, other Arab 10%, Iranian 8%, other 6%
Religions:
Muslim (Shi`a 70%, Sunni 30%)
Languages:
Arabic (official); English also widely spoken; Farsi, Urdu
Literacy:
77% (male 82%, female 69%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
140,000; 42% of labor force is Bahraini; industry and commerce 85%,
agriculture 5%, services 5%, government 3% (1982)
Organized labor:
General Committee for Bahrain Workers exists in only eight major designated
companies
:Bahrain Government
Long-form name:
State of Bahrain
Type:
traditional monarchy
Capital:
Manama
Administrative divisions:
12 districts (manatiq, singular - mintaqah); Al Hadd, Al Manamah, Al
Mintaqah al Gharbiyah, Al Mintaqah al Wusta, Al Mintaqah ash Shamaliyah, Al
Muharraq, Ar Rifa`wa al Mintaqah al Janubiyah, Jidd Hafs, Madinat Hamad,
Madinat `Isa, Mintaqat Juzur Hawar, Sitrah
Independence:
15 August 1971 (from UK)
Constitution:
26 May 1973, effective 6 December 1973
Legal system:
based on Islamic law and English common law
National holiday:
Independence Day, 16 December
Executive branch:
amir, crown prince and heir apparent, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly was dissolved 26 August 1975 and legislative
powers were assumed by the Cabinet
Judicial branch:
High Civil Appeals Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
Amir `ISA bin Salman Al Khalifa (since 2 November 1961); Heir Apparent HAMAD
bin `Isa Al Khalifa (son of Amir; born 28 January 1950)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister KHALIFA bin Salman Al Khalifa (since 19 January 1970)
Political parties and leaders:
political parties prohibited; several small, clandestine leftist and Islamic
fundamentalist groups are active
Suffrage:
none
Elections:
none
Member of:
ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, IDB, ILO, IMF,
IMO, INMARSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAPEC,
OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador `Abd al-Rahman Faris Al KHALIFA; Chancery at 3502 International
Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 342-0741 or 342-0742; there
is a Bahraini Consulate General in New York
US:
Ambassador Dr. Charles W. HOSTLER; Embassy at Road No. 3119 (next to Alahli
Sports Club), Zinj; (mailing address is P. O. 26431, Manama, or FPO AE
09834-6210); telephone [973] 273-300; FAX (973) 272-594
Flag:
red with a white serrated band (eight white points) on the hoist side
:Bahrain Economy
Overview:
Petroleum production and processing account for about 80% of export
receipts, 60% of government revenues, and 31% of GDP. Economic conditions
have fluctuated with the changing fortunes of oil since 1985, for example,
the Gulf crisis of 1990-91. The liberation of Kuwait in early 1991 has
improved short- to medium-term prospects and has raised investors'
confidence. Bahrain with its highly developed communication and transport
facilities is home to numerous multinational firms with business in the
Gulf. A large share of exports is petroleum products made from imported
crude.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $4.0 billion, per capita $7,500 (1990); real
growth rate 6.7% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.5% (1989)
Unemployment rate:
8-10% (1989)
Budget:
revenues $1.2 billion; expenditures $1.32 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (1989)
Exports:
$3.7 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
commodities:
petroleum and petroleum products 80%, aluminum 7%, other 13%
partners:
UAE 18%, Japan 12%, India 11%, US 6%
Imports:
$3.7 billion (f.o.b., 1989)
commodities:
nonoil 59%, crude oil 41%
partners:
Saudi Arabia 41%, US 23%, Japan 8%, UK 8%
External debt:
$1.1 billion (December 1989 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate 3.8% (1988); accounts for 44% of GDP
Electricity:
3,600,000 kW capacity; 10,500 million kWh produced, 21,000 kWh per capita
(1991)
Industries:
petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, offshore banking, ship
repairing
Agriculture:
including fishing, accounts for less than 2% of GDP; not self-sufficient in
food production; heavily subsidized sector produces fruit, vegetables,
poultry, dairy products, shrimp, and fish; fish catch 9,000 metric tons in
1987
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-79), $24 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $45 million; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $9.8 billion
Currency:
Bahraini dinar (plural - dinars); 1 Bahraini dinar (BD) = 1,000 fils
Exchange rates:
Bahraini dinars (BD) per US$1 - 0.3760 (fixed rate)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
:Bahrain Communications
Highways:
200 km bituminous surfaced, including 25 km bridge-causeway to Saudi Arabia
opened in November 1986; NA km natural surface tracks
Pipelines:
crude oil 56 km; petroleum products 16 km; natural gas 32 km
Ports:
Mina' Salman, Manama, Sitrah
Merchant marine:
9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 186,367 GRT/249,441 DWT; includes 5
cargo, 2 container, 1 liquefied gas, 1 bulk
Civil air:
27 major transport aircraft
Airports:
3 total, 3 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over
3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
excellent international telecommunications; good domestic services; 98,000
telephones; broadcast stations - 2 AM, 3 FM, 2 TV; satellite earth stations
- 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 ARABSAT;
tropospheric scatter to Qatar, UAE, and microwave to Saudi Arabia; submarine
cable to Qatar, UAE, and Saudi Arabia
:Bahrain Defense Forces
Branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense, Police Force
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 190,937; 105,857 fit for military service
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $194 million, 6% of GDP (1990)
:Baker Island Geography
Total area:
1.4 km2
Land area:
1.4 km2
Comparative area:
about 2.3 times the size of the Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
none
Coastline:
4.8 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone:
12 nm
Continental shelf:
200 m (depth)
Exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
none
Climate:
equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun
Terrain:
low, nearly level coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing reef
Natural resources:
guano (deposits worked until 1891)
Land use:
arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and
woodland 0%; other 100%
Environment:
treeless, sparse and scattered vegetation consisting of grasses, prostrate
vines, and low growing shrubs; lacks fresh water; primarily a nesting,
roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife
Note:
remote location 2,575 km southwest of Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean,
just north of the Equator, about halfway between Hawaii and Australia
:Baker Island People
Population:
uninhabited; American civilians evacuated in 1942 after Japanese air and
naval attacks during World War II; occupied by US military during World War
II, but abandoned after the war; public entry is by special-use permit only
and generally restricted to scientists and educators
:Baker Island Government
Long-form name:
none
Type:
unincorporated territory of the US administered by the Fish and Wildlife
Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National
Wildlife Refuge system
Capital:
none; administered from Washington, DC
:Baker Island Economy
Overview:
no economic activity
:Baker Island Communications
Ports:
none; offshore anchorage only, one boat landing area along the middle of the
west coast
Airports:
1 abandoned World War II runway of 1,665 m
Telecommunications:
there is a day beacon near the middle of the west coast
:Baker Island Defense Forces
Note:
defense is the responsibility of the US; visited annually by the US Coast
Guard
:Bangladesh Geography
Total area:
144,000 km2
Land area:
133,910 km2
Comparative area:
slightly smaller than Wisconsin
Land boundaries:
4,246 km total; Burma 193 km, India 4,053 km
Coastline:
580 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone:
18 nm
Continental shelf:
up to outer limits of continental margin
Exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
a portion of the boundary with India is in dispute; water sharing problems
with upstream riparian India over the Ganges
Climate:
tropical; cool, dry winter (October to March); hot, humid summer (March to
June); cool, rainy monsoon (June to October)
Terrain:
mostly flat alluvial plain; hilly in southeast
Natural resources:
natural gas, uranium, arable land, timber
Land use:
arable land 67%; permanent crops 2%; meadows and pastures 4%; forest and
woodland 16%; other 11%; includes irrigated 14%
Environment:
vulnerable to droughts; much of country routinely flooded during summer
monsoon season; overpopulation; deforestation
Note:
almost completely surrounded by India
:Bangladesh People
Population:
119,411,711 (July 1992), growth rate 2.4% (1992)
Birth rate:
36 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
12 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
112 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
55 years male, 54 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
4.6 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Bangladeshi(s); adjective - Bangladesh
Ethnic divisions:
Bengali 98%, Biharis 250,000, and tribals less than 1 million
Religions:
Muslim 83%, Hindu 16%, Buddhist, Christian, and other less than 1%
Languages:
Bangla (official), English widely used
Literacy:
35% (male 47%, female 22%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
35,100,000; agriculture 74%, services 15%, industry and commerce 11% (FY86);
extensive export of labor to Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Oman (1991)
Organized labor:
3% of labor force belongs to 2,614 registered unions (1986 est.)
:Bangladesh Government
Long-form name:
People's Republic of Bangladesh
Type:
republic
Capital:
Dhaka
Administrative divisions:
64 districts (zillagulo, singular - zilla); Bagerhat, Bandarban, Barguna,
Barisal, Bhola, Bogra, Brahmanbaria, Chandpur, Chapai Nawabganj, Chattagram,
Chuadanga, Comilla, Cox's Bazar, Dhaka, Dinajpur, Faridpur, Feni, Gaibandha,
Gazipur, Gopalganj, Habiganj, Jaipurhat, Jamalpur, Jessore, Jhalakati,
Jhenaidah, Khagrachari, Khulna, Kishorganj, Kurigram, Kushtia, Laksmipur,
Lalmonirhat, Madaripur, Magura, Manikganj, Meherpur, Moulavibazar,
Munshiganj, Mymensingh, Naogaon, Narail, Narayanganj, Narsingdi, Nator,
Netrakona, Nilphamari, Noakhali, Pabna, Panchagar, Parbattya Chattagram,
Patuakhali, Pirojpur, Rajbari, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Satkhira, Shariyatpur,
Sherpur, Sirajganj, Sunamganj, Sylhet, Tangail, Thakurgaon
Independence:
16 December 1971 (from Pakistan; formerly East Pakistan)
Constitution:
4 November 1972, effective 16 December 1972, suspended following coup of 24
March 1982, restored 10 November 1986, amended NA March 1991
Legal system:
based on English common law
National holiday:
Independence Day, 26 March (1971)
Executive branch:
president, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Parliament (Jatiya Sangsad)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
President Abdur Rahman BISWAS (since 8 October 1991)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Khaleda ZIAUR Rahman (since 20 March 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Khaleda ZIAUR Rahman; Awami League (AL),
Sheikh Hasina WAZED; Jatiyo Party (JP), Hussain Mohammad ERSHAD;
Jamaat-E-Islami (JI), Ali KHAN; Bangladesh Communist Party (BCP), Saifuddin
Ahmed MANIK; National Awami Party (Muzaffar); Workers Party, leader NA;
Jatiyo Samajtantik Dal (National Socialist Party - SIRAJ), M. A. JALIL;
Ganotantri Party, leader NA; Islami Oikya Jote, leader NA; National
Democratic Party (NDP), leader NA; Muslim League, Khan A. SABUR; Democratic
League, Khondakar MUSHTAQUE Ahmed; United People's Party, Kazi ZAFAR Ahmed
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
National Parliament:
last held 27 February 1991 (next to be held NA February 1996); results -
percent of vote by party NA; seats - (330 total, 300 elected and 30 seats
reserved for women) BNP 168, AL 93, JP 35, JI 20, CBP 5, National Awami
Party (Muzaffar) 1, Workers Party 1, SIRAJ 1, Ganotantri Party 1, Islami
Oikya Jote 1, NDP 1, independents 3
President:
last held 8 October 1991 (next to be held by NA October 1996); results -
Abdur Rahman BISWAS received 52.1% of parliamentary vote
:Bangladesh Government
Communists:
5,000 members (1987 est.)
Member of:
AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IDB,
IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS,
NAM, OIC, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIIMOG, UPU, WHO, WFTU, WIPO,
WCL, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Abul AHSAN; Chancery at 2201 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC
20007; telephone (202) 342-8372 through 8376; there is a Bangladesh
Consulate General in New York
US:
Ambassador William B. MILAM; Embassy at Diplomatic Enclave, Madani Avenue,
Baridhara, Dhaka (mailing address is G. P. O. Box 323, Dhaka 1212);
telephone [880] (2) 884700-22; FAX [880] (2) 883648
Flag:
green with a large red disk slightly to the hoist side of center; green is
the traditional color of Islam
:Bangladesh Economy
Overview:
Bangladesh is one of the poorest nations in the world. The economy is based
on the output of a narrow range of agricultural products, such as jute,
which is the main cash crop and major source of export earnings, and rice.
Bangladesh is hampered by a relative lack of natural resources, population
growth of more than 2% a year, large-scale unemployment, and a limited
infrastructure; furthermore, it is highly vulnerable to natural disasters.
Despite these constraints, real GDP growth averaged about 3.5% annually
during 1985-89. A strong agricultural performance in FY90 pushed the growth
rate up to 6.2%, and FY91 saw further, though smaller, increases in output.
Alleviation of poverty remains the cornerstone of the government's
development strategy.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $23.1 billion, per capita $200; real growth rate
3.2% (FY91)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
8.9% (FY91 est.)
Unemployment rate:
30%, including underemployment (FY90 est.)
Budget:
revenues $2.24 billion; expenditures $3.7 billion (FY91)
Exports:
$1.7 billion (FY91 est.)
commodities:
garments, jute and jute goods, leather, shrimp
partners:
US 32%, Italy 8.1%, UK 6.2% (FY90)
Imports:
$3.5 billion (FY91 est.)
commodities:
capital goods, petroleum, food, textiles
partners:
Japan 9.2%, India 6.2%, Singapore 5.9%, US 5.7%
External debt:
$11.1 billion (FY91 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate 1% (FY91 est.); accounts for 10% of GDP
Electricity:
1,990,000 kW capacity; 5,700 million kWh produced, 50 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
jute manufacturing, cotton textiles, food processing, steel, fertilizer
Agriculture:
accounts for about 40% of GDP, 70% of employment, and one-third of exports;
imports 10% of food grain requirements; world's largest exporter of jute;
commercial products - jute, rice, wheat, tea, sugarcane, potatoes, beef,
milk, poultry; shortages include wheat, vegetable oils and cotton; fish
catch 778,000 metric tons in 1986
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $3.4 billion; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-89), $11.65 million; OPEC
bilateral aid (1979-89), $6.52 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $1.5
billion
Currency:
taka (plural - taka); 1 taka (Tk) = 100 paise
Exchange rates:
taka (Tk) per US$1 - 38.800 (January 1992), 36.596 (1991), 34.569 (1990),
32.270 (1989), 31.733 (1988), 30.950 (1987)
Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June
:Bangladesh Communications
Railroads:
2,892 km total (1986); 1,914 km 1.000 meter gauge, 978 km 1.676 meter broad
gauge
Highways:
7,240 km total (1985); 3,840 km paved, 3,400 km unpaved
Inland waterways:
5,150-8,046 km navigable waterways (includes 2,575-3,058 km main cargo
routes)
Pipelines:
natural gas 1,220 km
Ports:
Chittagong, Chalna
Merchant marine:
44 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 328,382 GRT/479,985 DWT; includes 36
cargo, 2 petroleum tanker, 3 refrigerated cargo, 3 bulk
Civil air:
15 major transport aircraft
Airports:
16 total, 12 usable; 12 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
over 3,659 m; 4 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 6 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
adequate international radio communications and landline service; fair
domestic wire and microwave service; fair broadcast service; 241,250
telephones; broadcast stations - 9 AM, 6 FM, 11 TV; 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT
satellite earth stations
:Bangladesh Defense Forces
Branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force; paramilitary forces - Bangladesh Rifles, Bangladesh
Ansars, Armed Police Reserve, Coastal Police
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 29,891,224; 17,745,343 fit for military service
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $339 million, 1.5% of GDP (FY92 budget)
:Barbados Geography
Total area:
430 km2
Land area:
430 km2
Comparative area:
slightly less than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
none
Coastline:
97 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
none
Climate:
tropical; rainy season (June to October)
Terrain:
relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region
Natural resources:
crude oil, fishing, natural gas
Land use:
arable land 77%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 9%; forest and
woodland 0%; other 14%
Environment:
subject to hurricanes (especially June to October)
Note:
easternmost Caribbean island
:Barbados People
Population:
254,934 (July 1992), growth rate 0.1% (1992)
Birth rate:
16 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
9 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
--6 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
22 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
70 years male, 76 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
1.8 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Barbadian(s); adjective - Barbadian
Ethnic divisions:
African 80%, mixed 16%, European 4%
Religions:
Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%, other 12%),
Roman Catholic 4%; none 17%, unknown 3%, other 9% (1980)
Languages:
English
Literacy:
99% (male 99%, female 99%) age 15 and over having ever attended school
(1970)
Labor force:
120,900 (1991); services and government 37%; commerce 22%; manufacturing and
construction 22%; transportation, storage, communications, and financial
institutions 9%; agriculture 8%; utilities 2% (1985 est.)
Organized labor:
32% of labor force
:Barbados Government
Long-form name:
none
Type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
Bridgetown
Administrative divisions:
11 parishes; Christ Church, Saint Andrew, Saint George, Saint James, Saint
John, Saint Joseph, Saint Lucy, Saint Michael, Saint Peter, Saint Philip,
Saint Thomas; note - there may be a new city of Bridgetown
Independence:
30 November 1966 (from UK)
Constitution:
30 November 1966
Legal system:
English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts
National holiday:
Independence Day, 30 November (1966)
Executive branch:
British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister,
Cabinet
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house
or House of Assembly
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of Judicature
Leaders:
Chief of State:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General
Dame Nita BARROW (since 6 June 1990)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Lloyd Erskine SANDIFORD (since 2 June 1987)
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Labor Party (DLP), Erskine SANDIFORD; Barbados Labor Party (BLP),
Henry FORDE; National Democratic Party (NDP), Richie HAYNES
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
House of Assembly:
last held 22 January 1991 (next to be held by January 1996); results - DLP
49.8%; seats - (28 total) DLP 18, BLP 10
Other political or pressure groups:
Industrial and General Workers Union, Sir Frank WALCOTT; People's
Progressive Movement, Eric SEALY; Workers' Party of Barbados, Dr. George
BELLE
Member of:
ACP, C, CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD,
IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES,
LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Dr. Rudi WEBSTER; Chancery at 2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington,
DC 20008; telephone (202) 939-9200 through 9202; there is a Barbadian
Consulate General in New York and a Consulate in Los Angeles
US:
Ambassador G. Philip HUGHES; Embassy at Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
Building, Broad Street, Bridgetown (mailing address is P. O. Box 302, Box B,
FPO AA 34054); telephone (809) 436-4950 through 4957; FAX (809) 429-5246
:Barbados Government
Flag:
three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and blue with the
head of a black trident centered on the gold band; the trident head
represents independence and a break with the past (the colonial coat of arms
contained a complete trident)
:Barbados Economy
Overview:
A per capita income of $6,500 gives Barbados one of the highest standards of
living of all the small island states of the eastern Caribbean.
Historically, the economy was based on the cultivation of sugarcane and
related activities. In recent years, however, the economy has diversified
into manufacturing and tourism. The tourist industry is now a major employer
of the labor force and a primary source of foreign exchange. The economy
slowed in 1990-91, however, and Bridgetown's declining hard currency
reserves and inability to finance its deficits have caused it to adopt an
austere economic reform program.
GDP:
purchasing power equivalent - $1.7 billion, per capita $6,500; real growth
rate--3.1% (1990)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.4% (1990)
Unemployment rate:
18% (1991)
Budget:
revenues $514 million; expenditures $615 million (FY91-92)
Exports:
$210.6 million (f.o.b., 1990)
commodities:
sugar and molasses, chemicals, electrical components, clothing, rum,
machinery and transport equipment
partners:
CARICOM 30%, US 20%, UK 20%
Imports:
$704 million (c.i.f., 1990)
commodities:
foodstuffs, consumer durables, raw materials, machinery, crude oil,
construction materials, chemicals
partners:
US 35%, CARICOM 13%, UK 12%, Japan 6%, Canada 8%, Venezuela 4%
External debt:
$539.9 million (1990)
Industrial production:
growth rate--2.7% (1990); accounts for 14% of GDP
Electricity:
152,100 kW capacity; 539 million kWh produced, 2,117 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export
Agriculture:
accounts for 10% of GDP; major cash crop is sugarcane; other crops -
vegetables and cotton; not self-sufficient in food
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $15 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $171 million
Currency:
Barbadian dollars (plural - dollars); 1 Barbadian dollar (Bds$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
Barbadian dollars (Bds$) per US$1 - 2.0113 (fixed rate)
Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March
:Barbados Communications
Highways:
1,570 km total; 1,475 km paved, 95 km gravel and earth
Ports:
Bridgetown
Merchant marine:
2 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,200 GRT/7,338 DWT
Civil air:
no major transport aircraft
Airports:
1 with permanent-surface runways 2,440-3,659 m
Telecommunications:
islandwide automatic telephone system with 89,000 telephones; tropospheric
scatter link to Trinidad and Saint Lucia; broadcast stations - 3 AM, 2 FM, 2
(1 is pay) TV; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
:Barbados Defense Forces
Branches:
Royal Barbados Defense Force, Coast Guard, Royal Barbados Police Force
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 69,678; 48,803 fit for military service, no conscription
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $10 million, 0.7% of GDP (1989)
:Bassas da India Geography
Total area:
NA
Land area:
undetermined
Comparative area:
undetermined
Land boundaries:
none
Coastline:
35.2 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone:
12 nm
Continental shelf:
200 m (depth) or to depth of exploitation
Exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
claimed by Madagascar
Climate:
tropical
Terrain:
a volcanic rock 2.4 m high
Natural resources:
none
Land use:
arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and
woodland 0%; other (rock) 100%
Environment:
surrounded by reefs; subject to periodic cyclones
Note:
navigational hazard since it is usually under water during high tide;
located in southern Mozambique Channel about halfway between Africa and
Madagascar
:Bassas da India People
Population:
uninhabited
:Bassas da India Government
Long-form name:
none
Type:
French possession administered by Commissioner of the Republic Jacques
DEWATRE (since July 1991), resident in Reunion
Capital:
none; administered by France from Reunion
:Bassas da India Economy
Overview:
no economic activity
:Bassas da India Communications
Ports:
none; offshore anchorage only
:Bassas da India Defense Forces
Note:
defense is the responsibility of France
:Belarus Geography
Total area:
207,600 km2
Land area:
207,600 km2
Comparative area:
slightly smaller than Kansas
Land boundaries:
3,098 km total; Latvia 141 km, Lithuania 502 km, Poland 605 km, Russia 959
km, Ukraine 891 km
Coastline:
none - landlocked
Maritime claims:
none - landlocked
Disputes:
none
Climate:
mild and moist; transitional between continental and maritime
Terrain:
generally flat and contains much marshland
Natural resources:
forest land and peat deposits
Land use:
arable land NA%; permanent crops NA%; meadows and pastures NA%; forest and
woodland NA%; other NA%; includes irrigated NA%
Environment:
southern part of Belarus
highly contaminated with fallout from 1986 nuclear reactor accident at
Chernobyl'
Note:
landlocked
:Belarus People
Population:
10,373,881 (July 1992), growth rate 0.5% (1992)
Birth rate:
15 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
11 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
20 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
66 years male, 76 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
2.1 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Belarusian(s); adjective - Belarusian
Ethnic divisions:
Byelorussian 77.9%, Russian 13.2%, Poles 4.1%, Ukrainian 2.9%, Jews 1.1%,
other 0.8%
Religions:
Russian Orthodox NA%, unknown NA%, none NA%, other NA%
Languages:
Byelorussian NA%, Russian NA%, other NA%
Literacy:
NA% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write
Labor force:
5,418,000; industry and construction 42%, agriculture and forestry 20%,
other 38% (1990)
Organized labor:
NA
:Belarus Government
Long-form name:
Republic of Belarus
Type:
republic
Capital:
Mensk
Administrative divisions:
6 oblasts (oblastey, singular - oblast'); Brest, Gomel', Grodno, Minsk,
Mogilev, Vitebsk; note - all oblasts have the same name as their
administrative center
Independence:
1 January 1919 Belorussian Republic; 30 December 1922 joined with the USSR;
25 August 1991 redeclared independence
Constitution:
adopted April 1978
Legal system:
based on civil law system
National holiday:
24 August (1991)
Executive branch:
NA
Legislative branch:
unicameral with 360 seats
Judicial branch:
NA
Leaders:
Chief of State:
Chairman of the Supreme Soviet Stanislav S. SHUSHKEVICH (since NA 1991)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Vyacheslav F. KEBICH (since NA April 1990), First Deputy
Prime Minister Mikhail MYASNIKOVICH (since early 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
Belarusian Popular Front, Zenon POZNYAK, chairman; United Democratic Party,
Stanislav GUSAK, co-chairman; Social Democratic Gramada, Mikhail TKACHEV,
chairman; Belarus Workers Union, Mikhail SOBOL, Chairman
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
President:
NA
Supreme Soviet:
last held 4 March 1990 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by
party NA; seats - (360 total) number of seats by party NA; note - 50 seats
are for public bodies
Communists:
NA
Other political or pressure groups:
NA
Member of:
CE, CIS, CSCE, ECE, IAEA, ILO, INMARSAT, IOC, ITU, NACC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Martynov; Chancery at NA NW, Washington, DC 200__; telephone NA
US:
Ambassador (vacant); David SWARTZ, Charge d'Affaires; Embassy at Hotel
Belarus (telephone 8-011-7-0172-69-08-02) plus 7 hours; (mailing address is
APO New York is 09862); telephone NA
Flag:
white, red, and white
:Belarus Economy
Overview:
In many ways Belarus resembles the three Baltic states, for example, in its
industrial competence, its higher-than-average standard of living, and its
critical dependence on the other former Soviet states for fuels and raw
materials. Belarus ranks fourth in gross output among the former Soviet
republics, producing 4% of the total GDP and employing 4% of the labor
force. Once a mainly agricultural area, it now supplies important producer
and consumer goods - sometimes as the sole producer - to the other states.
The soil in Belarus is not as fertile as the black earth of Ukraine, but by
emphasizing favorable crops and livestock (especially pigs and chickens),
Belarus has become a net exporter to the other republics of meat, milk,
eggs, flour, and potatoes. Belarus produces only small amounts of oil and
gas and receives most of its fuel from Russia through the Druzhba oil
pipeline and the Northern Lights gas pipeline. These pipelines transit
Belarus enroute to Eastern Europe. Belarus produces petrochemicals,
plastics, synthetic fibers (nearly 30% of former Soviet output), and
fertilizer (20% of former Soviet output). Raw material resources are limited
to potash and peat deposits. The peat (more than one-third of the total for
the former Soviet Union) is used in domestic heating as boiler fuel for
electric power stations and in the production of chemicals. The potash
supports fertilizer production.
GDP:
NA - $NA, per capita $NA; real growth rate --2% (1991)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
81% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget:
revenues $NA million; expenditures $NA million, including capital
expenditures of $NA million
Exports:
$4.3 billion (f.o.b., 1990)
commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs
partners:
NA
Imports:
$5.6 billion (c.i.f., 1990)
commodities:
machinery, chemicals, textiles
partners:
NA
External debt:
$2.6 billion (end of 1991)
Industrial production:
growth rate --1.5% (1991)
Electricity:
7,500,000 kW capacity; 38,700 million kWh produced, 3,770 kWh per capita
(1991)
:Belarus Economy
Industries:
employ about 27% of labor force and produce a wide variety of products
essential to the other states; products include (in percent share of total
output of former Soviet Union): tractors(12%); metal-cutting machine tools
(11%); off-highway dump trucksup to 110-metric- ton load capacity (100%);
wheel-type earthmovers for construction and mining (100%); eight-
wheel-drive, high-flotation trucks with cargo capacity of 25 metric tons for
use in tundra and roadless areas (100%); equipment for animal husbandry and
livestock feeding (25%); motorcycles (21.3%); television sets (11%);
chemical fibers (28%); fertilizer (18%); linen fabric (11%); wool fabric
(7%); radios; refrigerators; and other consumer goods
Agriculture:
accounts for 5.7% of total agricultural output of former Soviet Union;
employs 29% of the labor force; in 1988 produced the following (in percent
of total Soviet production): grain (3.6%), potatoes (12.2%), vegetables
(3.0%), meat (6.0%), milk (7.0%); net exporter of meat, milk, eggs, flour,
and potatoes
Illicit drugs:
illicit producer of opium mostly for the domestic market; transshipment
point for illicit drugs to Western Europe
Economic aid:
NA
Currency:
as of May 1992, retaining ruble as currency
Exchange rates:
NA
Fiscal year:
calendar year
:Belarus Communications
Railroads:
5,570 km (includes NA km electrified); does not include industrial lines
(1990)
Highways:
98,200 km total (1990); 66,100 km hard surfaced, 32,100 km earth
Inland waterways:
NA km
Pipelines:
NA
Ports:
none - landlocked
Merchant marine:
none - landlocked
Civil air:
NA major transport aircraft
Airports:
NA
Telecommunications:
telephone network has 1.7 million lines, 15% of which are switched
automatically; Minsk has 450,000 lines; telephone density is approximately
17 per 100 persons; as of 31 January 1990, 721,000 applications from
households for telephones were still unsatisfied; international connections
to other former Soviet republics are by landline or microwave and to other
countries by leased connection through the Moscow international gateway
switch
:Belarus Defense Forces
Branches:
Republic Security Forces (internal and border troops); CIS Forces (Ground,
Air, Air Defense, Strategic Rocket)
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, NA; NA fit for military service; NA reach military age (18)
annually
Defense expenditures:
$NA, NA% of GDP
:Belgium Geography
Total area:
30,510 km2
Land area:
30,230 km2
Comparative area:
slightly larger than Maryland
Land boundaries:
1,385 km total; France 620 km, Germany 167 km, Luxembourg 148 km,
Netherlands 450 km
Coastline:
64 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf:
not specific
Exclusive fishing zone:
equidistant line with neighbors (extends about 68 km from coast)
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
none
Climate:
temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy
Terrain:
flat coastal plains in northwest, central rolling hills, rugged mountains of
Ardennes Forest in southeast
Natural resources:
coal, natural gas
Land use:
arable land 24%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 20%; forest and
woodland 21%; other 34%, includes irrigated NEGL%
Environment:
air and water pollution
Note:
majority of West European capitals within 1,000 km of Brussels; crossroads
of Western Europe; Brussels is the seat of the EC
:Belgium People
Population:
10,016,623 (July 1992), growth rate 0.3% (1992)
Birth rate:
12 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
10 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
8 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
73 years male, 80 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
1.6 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Belgian(s); adjective - Belgian
Ethnic divisions:
Fleming 55%, Walloon 33%, mixed or other 12%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 75%, remainder Protestant or other
Languages:
Flemish (Dutch) 56%, French 32%, German 1%; legally bilingual 11%; divided
along ethnic lines
Literacy:
99% (male 99%, female 99%) age 15 and over can read and write (1980 est.)
Labor force:
4,126,000; services 63.6%, industry 28%, construction 6.1%, agriculture 2.3%
(1988)
Organized labor:
70% of labor force
:Belgium Government
Long-form name:
Kingdom of Belgium
Type:
constitutional monarchy
Capital:
Brussels
Administrative divisions:
9 provinces (French - provinces, singular - province; Flemish - provincien,
singular - provincie); Antwerpen, Brabant, Hainaut, Liege, Limburg,
Luxembourg, Namur, Oost-Vlaanderen, West-Vlaanderen
Independence:
4 October 1830 (from the Netherlands)
Constitution:
7 February 1831, last revised 8-9 August 1980; the government is in the
process of revising the Constitution with the aim of federalizing the
Belgian state
Legal system:
civil law system influenced by English constitutional theory; judicial
review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
reservations
National holiday:
National Day, 21 July (ascension of King Leopold to the throne in 1831)
Executive branch:
monarch, prime minister, three deputy prime ministers, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of an upper chamber or Senate (Flemish -
Senaat, French - Senat) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Representatives
(Flemish - Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers, French - Chambre des
Representants)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of Justice (Flemish - Hof van Cassatie, French - Cour de
Cassation)
Leaders:
Chief of State:
King BAUDOUIN I (since 17 July 1951); Heir Apparent Prince ALBERT of Liege
(brother of the King; born 6 June 1934)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Jean-Luc DEHAENE (since 6 March 1992)
Political parties and leaders:
Flemish Social Christian (CVP), Herman van ROMPUY, president; Walloon Social
Christian (PSC) , Gerard DEPREZ, president; Flemish Socialist (SP), Frank
VANDENBROUCKE, president; Walloon Socialist (PS), NA; Flemish Liberal (PVV),
Guy VERHOF STADT, president; Walloon Liberal (PRL), Antoine DUQUESNE,
president; Francophone Democratic Front (FDF), Georges CLERFAYT, president;
Volksunie (VU), Jaak GABRIELS, president; Communist Party (PCB), Louis van
GEYT, president; Vlaams Blok (VB), Karel DILLEN, chairman; ROSSEM, Jean
Pierre VAN ROSSEM; National Front (FN), Werner van STEEN; Live Differently
(AGALEV), Leo COX; Ecologist (ECOLO), NA; other minor parties
Suffrage:
universal and compulsory at age 18
Elections:
Chamber of Representatives:
last held 24 November 1991 (next to be held by November 1996); results -
percent of vote by party NA; seats - (212 total) number of seats by party NA
Senate:
last held 24 November 1991 (next to be held by November 1996); results -
percent of vote by party NA; seats - (106 total) number of seats by party NA
:Belgium Government
Other political or pressure groups:
Christian and Socialist Trade Unions; Federation of Belgian Industries;
numerous other associations representing bankers, manufacturers,
middle-class artisans, and the legal and medical professions; various
organizations represent the cultural interests of Flanders and Wallonia;
various peace groups such as the Flemish Action Committee Against Nuclear
Weapons and Pax Christi
Member of:
ACCT, AfDB, AG, AsDB, Benelux, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, COCOM, CSCE, EBRD, EC,
ECE, EIB, ESA, FAO, G-9, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU,
IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM,
ISO, ITU, LORCS, MTCR, NACC, NATO, NEA, OAS (observer), OECD, PCA, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMOGIP, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Juan CASSIERS; Chancery at 3330 Garfield Street NW, Washington,
DC 20008; telephone (202) 333-6900; there are Belgian Consulates General in
Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York
US:
Ambassador Bruce S. GELB; Embassy at 27 Boulevard du Regent, B-1000 Brussels
(mailing address is APO AE 09724); telephone [32] (2) 513-3830; FAX [32] (2)
511-2725; there is a US Consulate General in Antwerp
Flag:
three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), yellow, and red; the
design was based on the flag of France
:Belgium Economy
Overview:
This small private enterprise economy has capitalized on its central
geographic location, highly developed transport network, and diversified
industrial and commercial base. Industry is concentrated mainly in the
populous Flemish area in the north, although the government is encouraging
reinvestment in the southern region of Walloon. With few natural resources
Belgium must import essential raw materials, making its economy closely
dependent on the state of world markets. Over 70% of trade is with other EC
countries. During the period 1988-90, Belgium's economic performance was
marked by 4% average growth, moderate inflation, and a substantial external
surplus. Growth fell to 1.4% in 1991.
GDP:
purchasing power equivalent - $171.8 billion, per capita $17,300; real
growth rate 1.4% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.2% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
9.4% est. (1991 est.)
Budget:
revenues $45.0 billion; expenditures $55.3 billion, including capital
expenditures of NA (1989)
Exports:
$118 billion (f.o.b., 1990) Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union
commodities:
iron and steel, transportation equipment, tractors, diamonds, petroleum
products
partners:
EC 74%, US 5%, former Communist countries 2% (1989)
Imports:
$120 billion (c.i.f., 1990) Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union
commodities:
fuels, grains, chemicals, foodstuffs
partners:
EC 73%, US 4%, oil-exporting less developed countries 4%, former Communist
countries 3% (1989)
External debt:
$28.8 billion (1990 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate 1.2% (1991 est.); accounts for almost 30% of GDP
Electricity:
17,400,000 kW capacity; 67,100 million kWh produced, 6,767 kWh per capita
(1991)
Industries:
engineering and metal products, processed food and beverages, chemicals,
basic metals, textiles, glass, petroleum, coal
Agriculture:
accounts for 2.3% of GDP; emphasis on livestock production - beef, veal,
pork, milk; major crops are sugar beets, fresh vegetables, fruits, grain,
and tobacco; net importer of farm products
Economic aid:
donor - ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $5.8 billion
Currency:
Belgian franc (plural - francs); 1 Belgian franc (BF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates:
Belgian francs (BF) per US$1 - 32.462 (January 1992), 34.148 (1991), 33.418
(1990), 39.404 (1989), 36.768 (1988), 37.334 (1987)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
:Belgium Communications
Railroads:
Belgian National Railways (SNCB) operates 3,667 km 1.435-meter standard
gauge, government owned; 2,563 km double track; 1,978 km electrified; 191 km
1.000-meter gauge, government owned and operated
Highways:
103,396 km total; 1,317 km limited access, divided autoroute; 11,717 km
national highway; 1,362 km provincial road; about 38,000 km paved and 51,000
km unpaved rural roads
Inland waterways:
2,043 km (1,528 km in regular commercial use)
Pipelines:
petroleum products 1,167 km; crude oil 161 km; natural gas 3,300 km
Ports:
Antwerp, Brugge, Gent, Oostende, Zeebrugge
Merchant marine:
23 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 62,979 GRT/88,738 DWT; includes 10
cargo, 4 petroleum tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 5 chemical tanker, 1 bulk, 2
refrigerated cargo
Civil air:
47 major transport aircraft
Airports:
42 total, 42 usable; 24 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways
over 3,659 m; 14 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
highly developed, technologically advanced, and completely automated
domestic and international telephone and telegraph facilities; extensive
cable network; limited radio relay network; 4,720,000 telephones; broadcast
stations - 3 AM, 39 FM, 32 TV; 5 submarine cables; 2 satellite earth
stations - Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and EUTELSAT systems; nationwide mobile
phone system
:Belgium Defense Forces
Branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 2,550,088; 2,133,483 fit for military service; 66,249 reach
military age (19) annually
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $4.2 billion, 2.7% of GDP (1991)
:Belize Geography
Total area:
22,960 km2
Land area:
22,800 km2
Comparative area:
slightly larger than Massachusetts
Land boundaries:
516 km total; Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 250 km
Coastline:
386 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea:
12 nm in the north and 3 nm in the south; note - from the mouth of the
Sarstoon River to Ranguana Caye, Belize's territorial sea is 3 miles;
according to Belize's Maritime Areas Act, 1992, the purpose of this
limitation is to provide a framework for the negotiation of a definitive
agreement on territorial differences with the Republic of Guatemala''
Disputes:
claimed by Guatemala, but boundary negotiations to resolve the dispute have
begun
Climate:
tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to February)
Terrain:
flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south
Natural resources:
arable land potential, timber, fish
La
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