Chapter 6
Gnp: Na
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: full employment (1989)
Budget: revenues $386 million; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA (1988 est.)
Exports: $NA; full customs integration with France, which collects and rebates Monacan trade duties; also participates in EC market system through customs union with France
Imports: $NA; full customs integration with France, which collects and rebates Monacan trade duties; also participates in EC market system through customs union with France
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 10,000 kW standby capacity (1988); power supplied by France
Industries: pharmaceuticals, food processing, precision instruments, glassmaking, printing, tourism
Agriculture: NA
Aid: NA
Currency: French franc (plural—francs); 1 French franc (F) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: French francs (F) per US$1—5.7598 (January 1990), 6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987), 6.9261 (1986), 8.9852 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications
Railroads: 1.6 km 1.435-meter gauge
Highways: none; city streets
Ports: Monaco
Merchant marine: 1 tanker (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,268 GRT/4,959 DWT
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
Airports: 1 usable airfield with permanent-surface runways
Telecommunications: served by the French communications system; automatic telephone system; 38,200 telephones; stations—3 AM, 4 FM, 5 TV; no communication satellite stations
- Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of France
——————————————————————————
Country: Mongolia
- Geography
Total area: 1,565,000 km2; land area: 1,565,000 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than Alaska
Land boundaries: 8,114 km total; China 4,673 km, USSR 3,441 km
Coastline: none—landlocked
Maritime claims: none—landlocked
Climate: desert; continental (large daily and seasonal temperature ranges)
Terrain: vast semidesert and desert plains; mountains in west and southwest; Gobi Desert in southeast
Natural resources: coal, copper, molybdenum, tungsten, phosphates, tin, nickel, zinc, wolfram, fluorspar, gold
Land use: 1% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 79% meadows and pastures; 10% forest and woodland; 10% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: harsh and rugged
Note: landlocked; strategic location between China and Soviet Union
- People
Population: 2,187,275 (July 1990), growth rate 2.7% (1990)
Birth rate: 35 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 50 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 62 years male, 67 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 4.7 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Mongolian(s); adjective—Mongolian
Ethnic divisions: 90% Mongol, 4% Kazakh, 2% Chinese, 2% Russian, 2% other
Religion: predominantly Tibetan Buddhist, about 4% Muslim, limited religious activity because of Communist regime
Language: Khalkha Mongol used by over 90% of population; minor languages include Turkic, Russian, and Chinese
Literacy: 80% (est.); 100% claimed (1985)
Labor force: NA, but primarily agricultural; over half the adult population is in the labor force, including a large percentage of women; shortage of skilled labor
Organized labor: 425,000 members of the Central Council of Mongolian Trade
Unions (CCMTU) controlled by the government (1984)
- Government
Long-form name: Mongolian People's Republic; abbreviated MPR
Type: Communist state
Capital: Ulaanbaatar
Administrative divisions: 18 provinces (aymguud, singular—aymag) and
3 municipalities* (hotuud, singular—hot); Arhangay, Bayanhongor, Bayan-Olgiy,
Bulgan, Darhan*, Dornod, Dornogovi, Dundgovi, Dzavhan, Erdenet*,
Govi-Altay, Hentiy, Hovd, Hovsgol, Omnogovi, Ovorhangay,
Selenge, Suhbaatar, Tov, Ulaanbaatar*, Uvs
Independence: 13 March 1921 (from China; formerly Outer Mongolia)
Constitution: 6 July 1960
Legal system: blend of Russian, Chinese, and Turkish systems of law; no constitutional provision for judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: People's Revolution Day, 11 July (1921)
Executive branch: chairman and deputy chairman of the Presidium of the People's Great Hural, Presidium of the People's Great Hural, chairman of the Council of Ministers, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral People's Great Hural
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State—Chairman of the Presidium of the People's Great
Hural Punsalmaagiyn OCHIRBAT (since 21 March 1990);
Head of Government—Chairman of the Council of Ministers
Sharabyn GUNGAADORJ (since 21 March 1990);
Political parties and leaders: only party—Mongolian People's
Revolutionary Party (MPRP), Gombojabin Ochirbat, General Secretary
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President—last held 21 March 1990 (next to be held July 1991); results—Punsalmaagiyn Ochirbat elected by the People's Great Hural;
People's Great Hural—last held on 22 June 1986 (next to be held June 1990); results—MPRP was the only party; seats—(370 total) MPRP 370
Communists: MPRP membership 88,150 (1986 est.)
Member of: CEMA, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBEC, ILO, IPU, ITU, UN, UNESCO,
UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Gendengiin NYAMDOO;
US—Ambassador Richard L. WILLIAMS
Flag: three equal, vertical bands of red (hoist side), blue, and red; centered on the hoist-side red band in yellow is a five-pointed star above the national emblem (soyombo—a columnar arrangement of abstract and geometric representations for fire, sun, moon, earth, water, and the yin-yang symbol)
- Economy Overview: Economic activity traditionally has been based on agriculture and the breeding of livestock—Mongolia has the highest number of livestock per person in the world. In recent years extensive mineral resources have been developed with Soviet support. The mining and processing of coal, copper, molybdenum, tin, tungsten, and gold account for a large part of industrial production.
GDP: $1.7 billion, per capita $880 (1985 est.); average real growth rate 3.6% (1976-85 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $2.2 billion; expenditures $2.19 billion, including capital expenditures of $0.9 billion (1987 est.)
Exports: $388 million (f.o.b., 1985); commodities—livestock, animal products, wool, hides, fluorspar, nonferrous metals, minerals; partners—nearly all trade with Communist countries (about 80% with USSR)
Imports: $1.0 billion (c.i.f., 1985); commodities—machinery and equipment, fuels, food products, industrial consumer goods, chemicals, building materials, sugar, tea; partners—nearly all trade with Communist countries (about 80% with USSR)
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate 10.9% (1985)
Electricity: 657,000 kW capacity; 29,500 million kWh produced, 1,340 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: processing of animal products, building materials, food and beverage, mining (particularly coal)
Agriculture: accounts for 90% of exports and provides livelihood for about 50% of the population; livestock raising predominates (sheep, goats, horses); crops—wheat, barley, potatoes, forage
Aid: about $500-$700 million annually from USSR
Currency: tughrik (plural—tughriks); 1 tughrik (Tug) = 100 mongos
Exchange rates: tughriks (Tug) per US$1—3.355 (1986-1988), 3.600 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications
Railroads: 1,750 km 1.524-meter broad gauge (1986)
Highways: 46,700 km total; 1,000 km hard surface; 45,700 km other surfaces (1986)
Inland waterways: 397 km of principal routes (1986)
Civil air: 22 major transport aircraft
Airports: 80 total, 30 usable; 10 with permanent-surface runways; fewer than 5 with runways over 3,659 m; fewer than 20 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 10 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: stations—13 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV (with 18 provincial relays); relay of Soviet TV; 60,000 TV sets; 186,000 radio receivers; at least 1 satellite earth station
- Defense Forces
Branches: Mongolian People's Army, Air Force (negligible)
Military manpower: males 15-49, 518,482; 338,652 fit for military service; 24,783 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: NA —————————————————————————— Country: Montserrat (dependent territory of the UK) - Geography Total area: 100 km2; land area: 100 km2
Comparative area: about 0.6 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 40 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation
Terrain: volcanic islands, mostly mountainous, with small coastal lowland
Natural resources: negligible
Land use: 20% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 10% meadows and pastures; 40% forest and woodland; 30% other
Environment: subject to severe hurricanes from June to November
Note: located 400 km southeast of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea
- People
Population: 12,467 (July 1990), growth rate 0.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 16 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 4 migrant/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 9 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male, 80 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.2 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Montserratian(s); adjective—Montserratian
Ethnic divisions: mostly black with a few Europeans
Religion: Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Seventh-Day
Adventist, other Christian denominations
Language: English
Literacy: 77%
Labor force: 5,100; 40.5% community, social, and personal services, 13.5% construction, 12.3% trade, restaurants, and hotels, 10.5% manufacturing, 8.8% agriculture, forestry, and fishing, 14.4% other (1983 est.)
Organized labor: 30% of labor force, three trade unions with 1,500 members (1984 est.)
- Government
Long-form name: none
Type: dependent territory of the UK
Capital: Plymouth
Administrative divisions: 3 parishes; Saint Anthony, Saint Georges,
Saint Peter
Independence: none (colony of the UK)
Constitution: 1 January 1960
Legal system: English common law and statute law
National holiday: Celebration of the Birthday of the Queen (second
Saturday of June)
Executive branch: monarch, governor, Executive Council (cabinet), chief minister
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Christopher J. TURNER (since 1987);
Head of Government—Chief Minister John A. OSBORNE (since 1978)
Political parties and leaders: People's Liberation Movement (PLM), John
Osborne; Progressive Democratic Party (PDP), Howell Bramble; United
National Front (UNF), Dr. George Irish; National Development Party (NDP),
Bertrand Osborne
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: Legislative Council—last held on 25 August 1987 (next to be held NA 1992); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(11 total, 7 elected) PLM 4, NDP 2, PDP 1
Communists: probably none
Diplomatic representation: none (colony of the UK)
Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Montserratian coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms features a woman standing beside a yellow harp with her arm around a black cross
- Economy Overview: The economy is small and open with economic activity centered on tourism and construction. Tourism is the most important sector and accounted for 20% of GDP in 1986. Agriculture accounted for about 4% of GDP and industry 9%. The economy is heavily dependent on imports, making it vulnerable to fluctuations in world prices. Exports consist mainly of electronic parts sold to the US.
GDP: $45.4 million, per capita $3,780; real growth rate 12% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.7% (1987)
Unemployment rate: 3.0% (1987)
Budget: revenues $10.0 million; expenditures $9.4 million, including capital expenditures of $3.2 million (1987)
Exports: $3.0 million (f.o.b., 1987); commodities—plastic bags, electronic parts, apparel, hot peppers, live plants, cattle; partners—NA
Imports: $25.3 million (c.i.f., 1987); commodities—machinery and transportation equipment, foodstuffs, manufactured goods, fuels, lubricants, and related materials; partners—NA
External debt: $3.7 million (1985)
Industrial production: growth rate 8.1% (1986)
Electricity: 5,000 kW capacity; 12 million kWh produced, 930 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: tourism; light manufacturing—rum, textiles, electronic appliances
Agriculture: accounts for 4% of GDP; small-scale farming; food crops—tomatoes, onions, peppers; not self-sufficient in food, especially livestock products
Aid: NA
Currency: East Caribbean dollar (plural—dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1—2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
- Communications
Highways: 280 km total; about 200 km paved, 80 km gravel and earth
Ports: Plymouth
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway 1,036 m
Telecommunications: 3,000 telephones; stations—8 AM, 4 FM, 1 TV
- Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
——————————————————————————
Country: Morocco
- Geography
Total area: 446,550 km2; land area: 446,300 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than California
Land boundaries: 2,002 km total; Algeria 1,559 km, Western
Sahara 443 km
Coastline: 1,835 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: claims and administers Western Sahara, but sovereignty is unresolved; armed conflict in Western Sahara; Spain controls two coastal presidios or places of sovereignty (Ceuta, Melilla)
Climate: Mediterranean, becoming more extreme in the interior
Terrain: mostly mountains with rich coastal plains
Natural resources: phosphates, iron ore, manganese, lead, zinc, fish, salt
Land use: 18% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 28% meadows and pastures; 12% forest and woodland; 41% other; includes 1% irrigated
Environment: northern mountains geologically unstable and subject to earthquakes; desertification
Note: strategic location along Strait of Gibraltar
- People
Population: 25,648,241 (July 1990), growth rate 2.2% (1990)
Birth rate: 31 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 1 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 78 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 63 years male, 66 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 4.0 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Moroccan(s); adjective—Moroccan
Ethnic divisions: 99.1% Arab-Berber, 0.7% non-Moroccan, 0.2% Jewish
Religion: 98.7% Muslim, 1.1% Christian, 0.2% Jewish
Language: Arabic (official); several Berber dialects; French is language of business, government, diplomacy, and postprimary education
Literacy: 28%
Labor force: 7,400,000; 50% agriculture, 26% services, 15% industry, 9% other (1985)
Organized labor: about 5% of the labor force, mainly in the Union of
Moroccan Workers (UMT) and the Democratic Confederation of Labor (CDT)
- Government
Long-form name: Kingdom of Morocco
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Rabat
Administrative divisions: 36 provinces (provinces, singular—province)
and 2 municipalities* (wilayas, singular—wilaya); Agadir, Al Hoceima, Azilal,
Beni Mellal, Ben Slimane, Boulemane, Casablanca*, Chaouen, El Jadida,
El Kelaa des Srarhna, Er Rachidia, Essaouira, Fes, Figuig, Guelmim, Ifrane,
Kenitra, Khemisset, Khenifra, Khouribga, Laayoune, Marrakech, Meknes, Nador,
Ouarzazate, Oujda, Rabat-Sale*, Safi, Settat, Sidi Kacem, Tanger, Tan-Tan,
Taounate, Taroudannt, Tata, Taza, Tetouan, Tiznit
Independence: 2 March 1956 (from France)
Constitution: 10 March 1972
Legal system: based on Islamic law and French and Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of Supreme Court
National holiday: National Day (anniversary of King Hassan II's accession to the throne), 3 March (1961)
Executive branch: monarch, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral Chamber of Representatives (Majlis al
Nuwab)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State—King HASSAN II (since 3 March 1961);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Dr. Azzedine LARAKI (since 30 September 1986)
Political parties and leaders: Morocco has 15 political parties; the major
ones are Istiqlal Party, M'Hamed Boucetta; Socialist Union of Popular Forces
(USFP), Abderrahim Bouabid; Popular Movement (MP), Secretariat General;
National Assembly of Independents (RNI), Ahmed Osman; National Democratic Party
(PND), Mohamed Arsalane El-Jadidi; Party for Progress and Socialism (PPS),
Ali Yata; Constitutional Union (UC), Maati Bouabid
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections: Chamber of Representatives—last held on 14 September 1984 (were scheduled for September 1990, but postponed until NA 1992); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(306 total, 206 elected) CU 83, RNI 61, MP 47, Istiqlal 41, USFP 36, PND 24, others 14
Communists: about 2,000
Member of: AfDB, Arab League, CCC, EC (associate), FAO, G-77, GATT,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB—Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO,
ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOOC, IPU, ITU, NAM, OIC, UN, UNESCO, UPU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Ali BENGELLOUN; Chancery at 1601 21st Street NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 462-7979; there is a Moroccan Consulate General in New York; US—Ambassador Michael USSERY; Embassy at 2 Avenue de Marrakech, Rabat (mailing address is P. O. Box 120, Rabat, or APO New York 09284); telephone (7) 622-65; there are US Consulates General in Casablanca and Tangier
Flag: red with a green pentacle (five-pointed, linear star) known as
Solomon's seal in the center of the flag; green is the traditional color of
Islam
- Economy Overview: After registering a robust 10% growth in 1988, the economy slowed in 1989 because of higher prices for food and oil imports, lower worker remittances, and a trade dispute with India over phosphoric acid prices that cost Rabat $500 million. To meet the foreign payments shortfall, Rabat has been drawing down foreign exchange reserves. Servicing the $22 billion foreign debt, high unemployment, and Morocco's vulnerability to external forces remain severe problems for the 1990s.
GDP: $21.9 billion, per capita $880 (1988); real growth rate 4.5% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 15% (1988)
Budget: revenues $5.1 billion; expenditures $6.0 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.4 billion (1988)
Exports: $3.1 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities—food and beverages 30%, semiprocessed goods 23%, consumer goods 21%, phosphates 17%; partners—EC 58%, India 7%, Japan 5%, USSR 3%, US 2%
Imports: $5.1 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities—capital goods 24%, semiprocessed goods 22%, raw materials 16%, fuel and lubricants 16%, food and beverages 13%, consumer goods 10%; partners—EC 53%, US 11%, Canada 4%, Iraq 3%, USSR 3%, Japan 2%
External debt: $22.2 billion (1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 4% (1989 est.)
Electricity: 2,140,000 kW capacity; 7,760 million kWh produced, 300 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: phosphate rock mining and processing, food processing, leather goods, textiles, construction, tourism
Agriculture: 50% of employment and 30% of export value; not self-sufficient in food; cereal farming and livestock raising predominate; barley, wheat, citrus fruit, wine, vegetables, olives; fishing catch of 491,000 metric tons in 1987
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis; trafficking on the increase for both domestic and international drug markets; shipments of cannabis mostly directed to Western Europe; occasional transit point for cocaine from South America destined for Western Europe.
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $1.2 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $6.3 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $4.8 billion; Communist countries (1970-88), $2.3 billion
Currency: Moroccan dirham (plural—dirhams); 1 Moroccan dirham (DH) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Moroccan dirhams (DH) per US$1—8.093 (January 1990), 8.488 (1989), 8.209 (1988), 8.359 (1987), 9.104 (1986), 10.062 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 1,893 km 1.435-meter standard gauge (246 km double track, 974 km electrified)
Highways: 59,198 km total; 27,740 km bituminous treated, 31,458 km gravel, crushed stone, improved earth, and unimproved earth
Pipelines: 362 km crude oil; 491 km (abandoned) refined products; 241 km natural gas
Ports: Agadir, Casablanca, El Jorf Lasfar, Kenitra, Mohammedia, Nador,
Safi, Tangier; also Spanish-controlled Ceuta and Melilla
Merchant marine: 54 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 334,931 GRT/513,762 DWT; includes 11 cargo, 2 container, 14 refrigerated cargo, 5 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 3 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 12 chemical tanker, 4 bulk, 3 short-sea passenger
Civil air: 23 major transport aircraft
Airports: 75 total, 68 usable; 26 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 14 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 27 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: good system composed of wire lines, cables, and radio relay links; principal centers are Casablanca and Rabat, secondary centers are Fes, Marrakech, Oujda, Tangier, and Tetouan; 280,000 telephones; stations—14 AM, 6 FM, 47 TV; 5 submarine cables; satellite earth stations—2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 1 ARABSAT; radio relay to Gibraltar, Spain, and Western Sahara; coaxial cable to Algeria; microwave network linking Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco
- Defense Forces
Branches: Royal Moroccan Army, Royal Moroccan Navy, Royal Moroccan Air
Force, Royal Gendarmerie
Military manpower: males 15-49, 6,203,759; 3,946,408 fit for military service; 293,893 reach military age (18) annually; limited conscription
Defense expenditures: 7.1% of GDP (1987)
——————————————————————————
Country: Mozambique
- Geography
Total area: 801,590 km2; land area: 784,090 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of California
Land boundaries: 4,571 km total; Malawi 1,569 km, South Africa 491 km,
Swaziland 105 km, Tanzania 756 km, Zambia 419 km, Zimbabwe 1,231 km
Coastline: 2,470 km
Maritime claims:
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical to subtropical
Terrain: mostly coastal lowlands, uplands in center, high plateaus in northwest, mountains in west
Natural resources: coal, titanium
Land use: 4% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 56% meadows and pastures; 20% forest and woodland; 20% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: severe drought and floods occur in south; desertification
- People
Population: 14,565,656 (July 1990), growth rate 2.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 47 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 18 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 3 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 138 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 45 years male, 49 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.5 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Mozambican(s); adjective—Mozambican
Ethnic divisions: majority from indigenous tribal groups; about 10,000 Europeans, 35,000 Euro-Africans, 15,000 Indians
Religion: 60% indigenous beliefs, 30% Christian, 10% Muslim
Language: Portuguese (official); many indigenous dialects
Literacy: 38%
Labor force: NA, but 90% engaged in agriculture
Organized labor: 225,000 workers belong to a single union, the Mozambique Workers' Organization (OTM)
Note: there are 800,000 Mozambican refugees in Malawi (1989 est.)
- Government
Long-form name: People's Republic of Mozambique
Type: people's republic
Capital: Maputo
Administrative divisions: 10 provinces (provincias, singular—provincia); Cabo Delgado, Gaza, Inhambane, Manica, Maputo, Nampula, Niassa, Sofala, Tete, Zambezia
Independence: 25 June 1975 (from Portugal)
Constitution: 25 June 1975
Legal system: based on Portuguese civil law system and customary law
National holiday: Independence Day, 25 June (1975)
Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral People's Assembly (Assembleia Popular)
Judicial branch: People's Courts at all levels
Leaders:
Chief of State—President Joaquim Alberto CHISSANO (since 6
November 1986);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Mario da Graca MACHUNGO (since 17 July 1986)
Political parties and leaders: Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO) is the only legal party and is a Marxist organization with close ties to the USSR
Suffrage: universal adult at age 18
Elections: national elections are indirect and based on mass meetings throughout the country
Communists: about 60,000 FRELIMO members
Member of: ACP, AfDB, CCC, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO,
IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, ITU, NAM, OAU, SADCC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Valeriano FERRAO; Chancery at
Suite 570, 1990 M Street NW, Washington DC 20036; telephone (202) 293-7146;
US—Ambassador Melissa F. WELLS; Embassy at 3rd Floor, 35 Rua Da Mesquita,
Maputo (mailing address is P. O. Box 783, Maputo); telephone 743167 or 744163
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), black, and yellow with a red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side; the black band is edged in white; centered in the triangle is a yellow five-pointed star bearing a crossed rifle and hoe in black superimposed on an open white book
- Economy Overview: One of Africa's poorest countries, with a per capita GDP of little more than $100, Mozambique has failed to exploit the economic potential of its sizable agricultural, hydropower, and transportation resources. Indeed, national output, consumption, and investment declined throughout the first half of the 1980s because of internal disorders, lack of government administrative control, and a growing foreign debt. A sharp increase in foreign aid, attracted by an economic reform policy, has resulted in successive years of economic growth since 1985. Agricultural output, nevertheless, is only at about 75% of its 1981 level, and grain has to be imported. Industry operates at only 20-40% of capacity. The economy depends heavily on foreign assistance to keep afloat.
GDP: $1.6 billion, per capita less than $110; real growth rate 5.0% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 81.1% (1988)
Unemployment rate: 40.0 (1988)
Budget: revenues $186 million; expenditures $239 million, including capital expenditures of $208 million (1988 est.)
Exports: $100 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities—shrimp 48%, cashews 21%, sugar 10%, copra 3%, citrus 3%; partners—US, Western Europe, GDR, Japan
Imports: $764 million (c.i.f., 1988), including aid; commodities—food, clothing, farm equipment, petroleum; partners—US, Western Europe, USSR
External debt: $4.4 billion (1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 7% (1989 est.)
Electricity: 2,265,000 kW capacity; 1,740 million kWh produced, 120 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: food, beverages, chemicals (fertilizer, soap, paints), petroleum products, textiles, nonmetallic mineral products (cement, glass, asbestos), tobacco
Agriculture: accounts for 50% of GDP, over 80% of labor force, and about 90% of exports; cash crops—cotton, cashew nuts, sugarcane, tea, shrimp; other crops—cassava, corn, rice, tropical fruits; not self-sufficient in food
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $282 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $3.1 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $37 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $887 million
Currency: metical (plural—meticais); 1 metical (Mt) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: meticais (Mt) per US$1—800 (September 1989), 528.60 (1988), 289.44 (1987), 40.43 (1986), 43.18 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 3,288 km total; 3,140 km 1.067-meter gauge; 148 km 0.762-meter narrow gauge; Malawi-Nacala, Malawi-Beira, and Zimbabwe-Maputo lines are subject to closure because of insurgency
Highways: 26,498 km total; 4,593 km paved; 829 km gravel, crushed stone, stabilized soil; 21,076 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways: about 3,750 km of navigable routes
Pipelines: 306 km crude oil (not operating); 289 km refined products
Ports: Maputo, Beira, Nacala
Merchant marine: 5 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 7,806
GRT/12,873 DWT
Civil air: 5 major transport aircraft
Airports: 203 total, 153 usable; 27 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 6 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 29 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: fair system of troposcatter, open-wire lines, and radio relay; 57,400 telephones; stations—15 AM, 3 FM, 1 TV; satellite earth stations—1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 3 domestic
- Defense Forces
Branches: Mozambique Armed Forces (including Army, Border Guard, Naval
Command, Air Defense Forces)
Military manpower: males 15-49, 3,295,067; 1,892,699 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: 8.4% of GDP (1987)
——————————————————————————
Country: Namibia
- Geography
Total area: 824,290 km2; land area: 823,290 km2
Comparative area: slightly more than half the size of Alaska
Land boundaries: 3,935 km total; Angola 1,376 km, Botswana 1,360 km, South Africa 966 km, Zambia 233 km
Coastline: 1,489 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm;
Territorial sea: 6 nm
Disputes: short section of boundary with Botswana is indefinite; quadripoint with Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe is in disagreement; possible future claim to South Africa's Walvis Bay
Climate: desert; hot, dry; rainfall sparse and erratic
Terrain: mostly high plateau; Namib Desert along coast; Kalahari Desert in east
Natural resources: diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, lead, tin, zinc, salt, vanadium, natural gas, fish; suspected deposits of coal and iron ore
Land use: 1% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 64% meadows and pastures; 22% forest and woodland; 13% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: inhospitable with very limited natural water resources; desertification
Note: Walvis Bay area is an exclave of South Africa in Namibia
- People
Population: 1,452,951 (July 1990), growth rate 5.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 46 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 20 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 71 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 57 years male, 63 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.6 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Namibian(s); adjective—Namibian
Ethnic divisions: 86% black, 6.5% white, 7.5% mixed; about 50% of the population belong to the Ovambo tribe and 9% from the Kavangos tribe
Religion: predominantly Christian
Language: Afrikaans principal language of about 60% of white population,
German of 33%, and English of 7% (all official); several indigenous languages
Literacy: 100% whites, 16% nonwhites
Labor force: 500,000; 60% agriculture, 19% industry and commerce, 8% services, 7% government, 6% mining (1981 est.)
Organized labor: 15 trade unions—largest is the mineworkers' union which has a sizable black membership
- Government
Long-form name: Republic of Namibia
Type: republic as of 21 March 1990
Capital: Windhoek
Administrative divisions: 26 districts; Bethanien, Boesmanland,
Caprivi Oos, Damaraland, Gobabis, Grootfontein, Hereroland Oos,
Hereroland Wes, Kaokoland, Karasburg, Karibib, Kavango, Keetmanshoop,
Luderitz, Maltahohe, Mariental, Namaland, Okahandja, Omaruru,
Otjiwarongo, Outjo, Owambo, Rehoboth, Swakopmund, Tsumeb, Windhoek
Independence: 21 March 1990
Constitution: ratified 9 February 1990
Legal system: based on Roman-Dutch law and customary law
National holiday: Settlers' Day, 10 December
Executive branch: president, Cabinet, Constitutional Council
Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government President Sam NUJOMA (since 21 March 1990)
Political parties and leaders: South-West Africa People's
Organization (SWAPO), Sam Nujoma;
Democratic Turnhalle Alliance (DTA), Dirk Mudge;
United Democratic Front (UDF), Justus Garoeb;
Action Christian National (ACN), Kosie Pretorius;
National Patriotic Front (NPF), Moses Katjiuongua;
Federal Convention of Namibia (FCN), Hans Diergaardt;
Namibia National Front (NNF), Vekuii Rukoro
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: National Assembly—last held on 7-11 November 1989 (next to be held NA); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(72 total) SWAPO 41, DTA 21, UDF 4, ACN 3, NNF 1, FCN 1, NPF 1
Communists: no Communist party
Other political or pressure groups: NA
Member of: FAO, IAEA, ILO, UNESCO, WHO
Diplomatic representation: NA
Flag: a large blue triangle with a yellow sunburst fills the upper left section, and an equal green triangle (solid) fills the lower right section; the triangles are separated by a red stripe which is contrasted by two narrow white edge borders
- Economy Overview: The economy is heavily dependent on the mining industry to extract and process minerals for export. Mining accounts for almost 35% of GDP, agriculture and fisheries 10-15%, and manufacturing about 5%. Namibia is the fourth-largest exporter of nonfuel minerals in Africa and the world's fifth-largest producer of uranium. Alluvial diamond deposits are among the richest in the world, making Namibia a primary source for gem-quality diamonds. Namibia also produces large quantities of lead, zinc, tin, silver, and tungsten, and it has substantial resources of coal.
GNP: $1.54 billion, per capita $1,245; real growth rate 2.9% (1987)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 15.1% (1989)
Unemployment rate: over 30% (1988)
Budget: revenues $781 million; expenditures $932 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY88)
Exports: $935 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities—diamonds, uranium, zinc, copper, meat, processed fish, karakul skins; partners—South Africa
Imports: $856 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities—foodstuffs, manufactured consumer goods, machinery and equipment; partners—South Africa, FRG, UK, US
External debt: about $27 million at independence; under a 1971 International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling, Namibia may not be liable for debt incurred during its colonial period
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 486,000 kW capacity; 1,280 million kWh produced, 930 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: meatpacking, fish processing, dairy products, mining (copper, lead, zinc, diamond, uranium)
Agriculture: accounts for 10% of GDP (including fishing); mostly subsistence farming; livestock raising major source of cash income; crops—millet, sorghum, peanuts; fish catch potential of over 1 million metric tons not being fulfilled, 1987 catch reaching only 520,000 metric tons; not self-sufficient in food
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $47.2 million
Currency: South African rand (plural—rand); 1 South African rand (R) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: South African rand (R) per US$1—2.5555 (January 1990), 2.6166 (1989), 2.2611 (1988), 2.0350 (1987), 2.2685 (1986), 2.1911 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
- Communications
Railroads: 2,341 km 1.067-meter gauge, single track
Highways: 54,500 km; 4,079 km paved, 2,540 km gravel, 47,881 km earth roads and tracks
Ports: Luderitz; primary maritime outlet is Walvis Bay (South Africa)
Civil air: 2 major transport aircraft
Airports: 143 total, 123 usable; 21 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 5 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 63 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: good urban, fair rural services; radio relay connects major towns, wires extend to other population centers; 62,800 telephones; stations—2 AM, 40 FM, 3 TV
- Defense Forces
Branches: NA
Military manpower: males 15-49, 298,249; 176,660 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: 4.9% of GNP (1986)
Note: the South-West Africa Territorial Force, established in 1980, was demobilized in June 1989; a new national defense force will probably be formed by the new government —————————————————————————— Country: Nauru - Geography Total area: 21 km2; land area: 21 km2
Comparative area: about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 30 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; monsoonal; rainy season (November to February)
Terrain: sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs with phosphate plateau in center
Natural resources: phosphates
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 100% other
Environment: only 53 km south of Equator
Note: one of three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific (others are Banaba or Ocean Island in Kiribati and Makatea in French Polynesia)
- People
Population: 9,202 (July 1990), growth rate 1.5% (1990)
Birth rate: 20 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 41 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 64 years male, 69 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.3 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Nauruan(s); adjective—Nauruan
Ethnic divisions: 58% Nauruan, 26% other Pacific Islander, 8% Chinese, 8%
European
Religion: Christian (two-thirds Protestant, one-third Roman Catholic)
Language: Nauruan, a distinct Pacific Island language (official); English widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and commercial purposes
Literacy: 99%
Labor force: NA
Organized labor: NA
- Government
Long-form name: Republic of Nauru
Type: republic
Capital: no capital city as such; government offices in Yaren District
Administrative divisions: 14 districts; Aiwo, Anabar, Anetan, Anibare,
Baiti, Boe, Buada, Denigomodu, Ewa, Ijuw, Meneng, Nibok, Uaboe, Yaren
Independence: 31 January 1968 (from UN trusteeship under Australia,
New Zealand, and UK); formerly Pleasant Island
Constitution: 29 January 1968
Legal system: own Acts of Parliament and British common law
National holiday: Independence Day, 31 January (1968)
Executive branch: president, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government—President Bernard DOWIYOGO (since 12 December 1989)
Political parties and leaders: none
Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 20
Elections:
President—last held 9 December 1989 (next to be held December
1992);
results—Bernard Dowiyogo elected by Parliament;
Parliament—last held on 9 December 1989 (next to be held December 1992); results—percent of vote NA; seats—(18 total) independents 18
Member of: Commonwealth (special member), ESCAP, ICAO, INTERPOL,
ITU, SPC, SPF, UPU
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador T. W. STAR resides in Melbourne
(Australia); there is a Nauruan Consulate in Agana (Guam);
US—the US Ambassador to Australia is accredited to Nauru
Flag: blue with a narrow, horizontal, yellow stripe across the center and a large white 12-pointed star below the stripe on the hoist side; the star indicates the country's location in relation to the Equator (the yellow stripe) and the 12 points symbolize the 12 original tribes of Nauru
- Economy Overview: Revenues come from the export of phosphates, the reserves of which are expected to be exhausted by the year 2000. Phosphates have given Nauruans one of the highest per capita incomes in the Third World—$10,000 annually. Few other resources exist so most necessities must be imported, including fresh water from Australia. The rehabilitation of mined land and the replacement of income from phosphates constitute serious long-term problems. Substantial investment in trust funds, out of phosphate income, will help cushion the transition.
GNP: over $90 million, per capita $10,000; real growth rate NA% (1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: 0%
Budget: revenues $69.7 million; expenditures $51.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY86 est.)
Exports: $93 million (f.o.b., 1984); commodities—phosphates; partners—Australia, NZ
Imports: $73 million (c.i.f., 1984); commodities—food, fuel, manufactures, building materials, machinery; partners—Australia, UK, NZ, Japan
External debt: $33.3 million
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 13,250 kW capacity; 48 million kWh produced, 5,300 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: phosphate mining, financial services, coconuts
Agriculture: negligible; almost completely dependent on imports for food and water
Aid: none
Currency: Australian dollar (plural—dollars); 1 Australian dollar ($A) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Australian dollars ($A) per US$1—1.2784 (January 1990), 1.2618 (1989), 1.2752 (1988), 1.4267 (1987), 1.4905 (1986), 1.4269 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
- Communications Railroads: 3.9 km; used to haul phosphates from the center of the island to processing facilities on the southwest coast
Highways: about 27 km total; 21 km paved, 6 km improved earth
Ports: Nauru
Merchant marine: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 39,597
GRT/50,729 DWT; includes 1 passenger-cargo, 1 cargo, 2 bulk
Civil air: 3 major transport aircraft, one on order
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: adequate intraisland and international radio communications provided via Australian facilities; 1,600 telephones; 4,000 radio receivers; stations—1 AM, no FM, no TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense Forces
Branches: no regular armed forces
Military manpower: males 15-49, 298,249; 176,660 fit for military service; 100 reach age 18 annually
Defense expenditures: no formal defense structure —————————————————————————— Country: Navassa Island (territory of the US) - Geography Total area: 5.2 km2; land area: 5.2 km2
Comparative area: about nine times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 8 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: claimed by Haiti
Climate: marine, tropical
Terrain: raised coral and limestone plateau, flat to undulating; ringed by vertical white cliffs (9 to 15 meters high)
Natural resources: guano
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 10% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 90% other
Environment: mostly exposed rock, but enough grassland to support goat herds; dense stands of fig-like trees, scattered cactus
Note: strategic location between Cuba, Haiti, and Jamaica in the
Caribbean Sea; 160 km south of the US Naval Base at Guantanamo, Cuba
- People Population: uninhabited; transient Haitian fishermen and others camp on the island
- Government
Long-form name: none (territory of the US)
Type: unincorporated territory of the US administered by the US Coast
Guard
- Economy
Overview: no economic activity
- Communications
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
- Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the US
——————————————————————————
Country: Nepal
- Geography
Total area: 140,800 km2; land area: 136,800 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than Arkansas
Land boundaries: 2,926 km total; China 1,236 km, India 1,690 km
Coastline: none—landlocked
Maritime claims: none—landlocked
Climate: varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winter in south
Terrain: Tarai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south, central hill region, rugged Himalayas in north
Natural resources: quartz, water, timber, hydroelectric potential, scenic beauty; small deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore
Land use: 17% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 13% meadows and pastures; 33% forest and woodland; 37% other; includes 2% irrigated
Environment: contains eight of world's 10 highest peaks; deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
Note: landlocked; strategic location between China and India
- People
Population: 19,145,800 (July 1990), growth rate 2.4% (1990)
Birth rate: 39 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 15 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 99 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 50 years male, 50 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 5.6 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Nepalese (sing. and pl.); adjective—Nepalese
Ethnic divisions: Newars, Indians, Tibetans, Gurungs, Magars, Tamangs,
Bhotias, Rais, Limbus, Sherpas, as well as many smaller groups
Religion: only official Hindu state in world, although no sharp distinction between many Hindu (about 88% of population) and Buddhist groups; small groups of Muslims and Christians
Language: Nepali (official); 20 languages divided into numerous dialects
Literacy: 20%
Labor force: 4,100,000; 93% agriculture, 5% services, 2% industry; severe lack of skilled labor
Organized labor: Teachers' Union, not officially recognized
- Government
Long-form name: Kingdom of Nepal
Type: constitutional monarchy, but King Birendra exercises control over multitiered system of government
Capital: Kathmandu
Administrative divisions: 14 zones (anchal, singular and plural);
Bagmati, Bheri, Dhawalagiri, Gandaki, Janakpur, Karnali,
Kosi, Lumbini, Mahakali, Mechi, Narayani,
Rapti, Sagarmatha, Seti
Independence: 1768, unified by Prithyi Narayan Shah
Constitution: 16 December 1962
Legal system: based on Hindu legal concepts and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Birthday of His Majesty the King, 28 December (1945)
Executive branch: monarch, chairman of the Council of State, Council of State, prime minister
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Rashtriya Panchayat)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Sarbochha Adalat)
Leaders:
Chief of State—King BIRENDRA Bir Bikram Shah Dev (since 31 January
1972, crowned King 24 February 1985); Heir Apparent Crown Prince DIPENDRA
Bir Bikram Shah Dev, son of the King (born 21 June 1971);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Marich Man Singh SHRESTHA (since 15 July 1986)
Political parties and leaders: all political parties outlawed but operate more or less openly; Nepali Congress Party (NCP), Ganesh Man Singh, K. P. Bhattarai, G. P. Koirala
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections: National Assembly—last held on 12 May 1986 (next to be held May 1991); results—all independents since political parties are officially banned; seats—(140 total, 112 elected) independents 112
Communists: Communist Party of Nepal (CPN); factions include V. B.
Manandhar, Man Mohan Adhikari/Sahana Pradhan, Bharat Raj Joshi, Rai Majhi,
Tulsi Lal, Krishna Raj Burma
Other political or pressure groups: numerous small, left-leaning student groups in the capital; Indian merchants in Tarai and capital; several small, radical Nepalese antimonarchist groups operating from north India
Member of: ADB, CCC, Colombo Plan, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITU, NAM, SAARC, UN,
UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Mohan Man SAINJU; Chancery at 2131
Leroy Place NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 667-4550; there is a
Nepalese Consulate General in New York;
US—Ambassador Julia Chang BLOCH; Embassy at Pani Pokhari, Kathmandu;
telephone 411179 or 412718, 411601
Flag: red with a blue border around the unique shape of two overlapping right triangles; the smaller, upper triangle bears a white stylized moon and the larger, lower triangle bears a white 12-pointed sun
- Economy Overview: Nepal is among the poorest and least developed countries in the world with a per capita income of only $158. Real growth averaged 4% in the 1980s until FY89, when it plunged to 1.5% because of the ongoing trade/transit dispute with India. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, providing a livelihood for over 90% of the population and accounting for 60% of GDP and about 75% of exports. Industrial activity is limited, and what there is involves the processing of agricultural produce (jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and grain). Apart from agricultural land and forests, the only other exploitable natural resources are mica, hydropower, and tourism. Despite considerable investment in the agricultural sector, production in the 1980s has not kept pace with the population growth of 2.7%, which has led to a reduction in exportable surpluses and balance-of-payments difficulties. Economic prospects for the 1990s remain grim.
GDP: $2.9 billion, per capita $158; real growth rate 1.5% (FY89)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.1% (FY89 est.)
Unemployment rate: 5%; underemployment estimated at 25-40% (1987)
Budget: revenues $296 million; expenditures $635 million, including capital expenditures of $394 million (FY89 est.)
Exports: $374 million (f.o.b., FY89 est.), but does not include unrecorded border trade with India; commodities—clothing, carpets, leather goods, grain; partners—India 38%, US 23%, UK 6%, other Europe 9% (FY88)
Imports: $724 million (c.i.f., FY89 est.); commodities—petroleum products 20%, fertilizer 11%, machinery 10%; partners—India 36%, Japan 13%, Europe 4%, US 1% (FY88)
External debt: $1.3 billion (December 1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate - 4.5% (FY89 est.)
Electricity: 205,000 kW capacity; 535 million kWh produced, 30 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills; cigarette, textiles, cement, brick; tourism
Agriculture: accounts for 60% of GDP and 90% of work force; farm products—rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, root crops, milk, buffalo meat; not self-sufficient in food, particularly in drought years
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the domestic and international drug markets
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $285 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-87), $1.8 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $30 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $273 million
Currency: Nepalese rupee (plural—rupees); 1 Nepalese rupee (NR) = 100 paisa
Exchange rates: Nepalese rupees (NRs) per US$1—28.559 (January 1990), 27.189 (1989), 23.289 (1988), 21.819 (1987), 21.230 (1986), 18.246 (1985)
Fiscal year: 16 July-15 July
- Communications Railroads: 52 km (1985), all 0.762-meter narrow gauge; all in Tarai close to Indian border; 10 km from Raxaul to Birganj is government owned
Highways: 5,958 km total (1986); 2,645 km paved, 815 km gravel or crushed stone, 2,257 km improved and unimproved earth; also 241 km of seasonally motorable tracks
Civil air: 5 major and 11 minor transport aircraft
Airports: 38 total, 38 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 9 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: poor telephone and telegraph service; fair radio communication and broadcast service; international radio communication service is poor; 30,000 telephones (1987); stations—4 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense Forces
Branches: Royal Nepalese Army, Royal Nepalese Army Air Service, Nepalese
Police Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 4,531,660; 2,347,412 fit for military service; 225,349 reach military age (17) annually
Defense expenditures: 2% of GDP, or $58 million (1989 est.)
——————————————————————————
Country: Netherlands
- Geography
Total area: 37,290 km2; land area: 33,940 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey
Land boundaries: 1,027 km total; Belgium 450 km, FRG 577 km
Coastline: 451 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: temperate; marine; cool summers and mild winters
Terrain: mostly coastal lowland and reclaimed land (polders); some hills in southeast
Natural resources: natural gas, crude oil, fertile soil
Land use: 25% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 34% meadows and pastures; 9% forest and woodland; 31% other; includes 15% irrigated
Environment: 27% of the land area is below sea level and protected from the North Sea by dikes
Note: located at mouths of three major European rivers (Rhine,
Maas or Meuse, Schelde)
- People
Population: 14,936,032 (July 1990), growth rate 0.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 13 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 2 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male, 81 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Dutchman(men), Dutchwoman(women); adjective—Dutch
Ethnic divisions: 96% Dutch, 4% Moroccans, Turks, and others (1988)
Religion: 36% Roman Catholic, 27% Protestant, 4% other, 33% unaffiliated (1986)
Language: Dutch
Literacy: 99%
Labor force: 5,300,000; 50.1% services, 28.2% manufacturing and construction, 15.9% government, 5.8% agriculture (1986)
Organized labor: 29% of labor force
- Government
Long-form name: Kingdom of the Netherlands
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Amsterdam, but government resides at The Hague
Administrative divisions: 12 provinces (provincien,
singular—provincie); Drenthe, Flevoland, Friesland, Gelderland, Groningen,
Limburg, Noord-Brabant, Noord-Holland, Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland,
Zuid-Holland
Dependent areas: Aruba, Netherlands Antilles
Independence: 1579 (from Spain)
Constitution: 17 February 1983
Legal system: civil law system incorporating French penal theory; judicial review in the Supreme Court of legislation of lower order rather than Acts of Parliament; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Queen's Day, 30 April (1938)
Executive branch: monarch, prime minister, vice prime minister, Cabinet,
Cabinet of Ministers
Legislative branch: bicameral States General (Staten Generaal) consists of an upper chamber or First Chamber (Eerste Kamer) and a lower chamber or Second Chamber (Tweede Kamer)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (De Hoge Raad)
Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard (since 30 April 1980);
Heir Apparent WILLEM-ALEXANDER, Prince of Orange, son of Queen Beatrix (born
27 April 1967);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Ruud (Rudolph) F. M. LUBBERS (since 4 November 1982); Deputy Prime Minister Wim KOK (since 2 November 1989)
Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), Willem van Velzen; Labor (PvdA), Wim Kok; Liberal (VVD), Joris Voorhoeve; Democrats '66 (D'66), Hans van Mierio; Communist (CPN), Henk Hoekstra; a host of minor parties
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: First Chamber—last held on 9 June l987 (next to be held 9 June 1991); results—elected by the country's 12 provincial councils; seats—(75 total) percent of seats by party NA;
Second Chamber—last held on 6 September 1989 (next to be held by September 1993); results—CDA 35.3%, PvdA 31.9%, VVD 14.6%, D'66 7.9%, others 10.3%; seats—(150 total) CDA 54, PvdA 49, VVD 22, D'66 12, others 13
Communists: about 6,000
Other political or pressure groups: large multinational firms; Federation of Netherlands Trade Union Movement (comprising Socialist and Catholic trade unions) and a Protestant trade union; Federation of Catholic and Protestant Employers Associations; the nondenominational Federation of Netherlands Enterprises; and IKV—Interchurch Peace Council
Member of: ADB, Benelux, CCC, Council of Europe, DAC, EC, ECE, EIB, EMS, ESA, ESCAP, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICES, ICO, IDA, IDB—Inter-American Development Bank, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INRO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITC, ITU, IWC—International Wheat Council (with respect to interests of the Netherlands Antilles and Suriname), NATO, OAS (observer), OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WEU, WHO,
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Richard H. FEIN; Chancery at 4200 Linnean Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 244-5300; there are Dutch Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco; US—Ambassador C. Howard WILKINS; Embassy at Lange Voorhout 102, 2514 EJ The Hague (mailing address APO New York 09159); telephone (70) 62-49-11; there is a US Consulate General in Amsterdam
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue; similar to the flag of Luxembourg which uses a lighter blue and is longer
- Economy Overview: This highly developed and affluent economy is based on private enterprise. The government makes its presence felt, however, through many regulations, permit requirements, and welfare programs affecting most aspects of economic activity. The trade and financial services sector contributes over 50% of GDP. Industrial activity, including construction, provides about 25% of GDP, and is led by the food-processing, oil-refining, and metal-working industries. The highly mechanized agricultural sector employs only 6% of the labor force, but provides large surpluses for export and the domestic food-processing industry. An unemployment rate of over 8.6% and a sizable budget deficit are currently the most serious economic problems.
GDP: $205.9 billion, per capita $13,900; real growth rate 4.2% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.5% (1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 8.6% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $71 billion; expenditures $82 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA billion (1989)
Exports: $110.3 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities—agricultural products, processed foods and tobacco, natural gas, chemicals, metal products, textiles, clothing; partners—EC 74.9% (FRG 28.3%, Belgium-Luxembourg 14.2%, France 10.7%, UK 10.2%), US 4.7% (1988)
Imports: $100.9 billion (c.i.f., 1989); commodities—raw materials and semifinished products, consumer goods, transportation equipment, crude oil, food products; partners—EC 63.8% (FRG 26.5%, Belgium-Luxembourg 23.1%, UK 8.1%), US 7.9% (1988)
External debt: none
Industrial production: growth rate 4.8% (1989 est.)
Electricity: 22,216,000 kW capacity; 63,570 million kWh produced, 4,300 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: agroindustries, metal and engineering products, electrical machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum, fishing, construction, microelectronics
Agriculture: accounts for 4% of GDP; animal production predominates; crops—grains, potatoes, sugar beets, fruits, vegetables; shortages of grain, fats, and oils
Aid: donor—ODA and OOF commitments (1970-87), $15.8 billion
Currency: Netherlands guilder, gulden, or florin (plural—guilders, gulden, or florins); 1 Netherlands guilder, gulden, or florin (f.) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Netherlands guilders, gulden, or florins (f.) per US$1—2.2906 (January 1990), 2.1207 (1989), 1.9766 (1988), 2.0257 (1987), 2.4500 (1986), 3.3214 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications
Railroads: 3,037 km track (includes 1,871 km electrified and
1,800 km double track; 2,871 km 1.435-meter standard gauge operated by
Netherlands Railways (NS); 166 km privately owned
Highways: 108,360 km total; 92,525 km paved (including 2,185 km of limited access, divided highways); 15,835 km gravel, crushed stone
Inland waterways: 6,340 km, of which 35% is usable by craft of 1,000 metric ton capacity or larger
Pipelines: 418 km crude oil; 965 km refined products; 10,230 km natural gas
Ports: maritime—Amsterdam, Delfzijl, Den Helder, Dordrecht, Eemshaven, Ijmuiden, Rotterdam, Scheveningen, Terneuzen, Vlissingen; inland—29 ports
Merchant marine: 345 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,661,822 GRT/3,732,282 DWT; includes 2 short-sea passenger, 187 cargo, 42 refrigerated cargo, 23 container, 9 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 3 livestock carrier, 12 multifunction large-load carrier, 15 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 27 chemical tanker, 11 liquefied gas, 2 specialized tanker, 1 combinatio n ore/oil, 9 bulk, 2 combination bulk; note—many Dutch-owned ships are also registered in the captive Netherlands Antilles register
Civil air: 98 major transport aircraft
Airports: 28 total, 28 usable; 19 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 12 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: highly developed, well maintained, and integrated; extensive system of multiconductor cables, supplemented by radio relay links; 9,418,000 telephones; stations—6 AM, 20 (32 repeaters) FM, 21 (8 repeaters) TV; 5 submarine cables; communication satellite earth stations operating in INTELSAT (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean) and EUTELSAT systems
- Defense Forces
Branches: Royal Netherlands Army, Royal Netherlands Navy/Marine Corps,
Royal Netherlands Air Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 4,134,006; 3,660,048 fit for military service; 111,948 reach military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures: 2.9% of GDP, or $6.0 billion (1989 est.) —————————————————————————— Country: Netherlands Antilles (part of the Dutch realm) - Geography Total area: 960 km2; land area: 960 km2; includes Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten (Dutch part of the island of Saint Martin)
Comparative area: slightly less than 5.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 364 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; modified by northeast trade winds
Terrain: generally hilly, volcanic interiors
Natural resources: phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only)
Land use: 8% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 92% other
Environment: Curacao and Bonaire are south of Caribbean hurricane belt, so rarely threatened; Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius are subject to hurricanes from July to October
Note: consists of two island groups—Curacao and Bonaire are located off the coast of Venezuela, and Sint Maarten, Saba, and Sint Eustatius lie 800 km to the north
- People
Population: 183,503 (July 1990), growth rate 0.2% (1990)
Birth rate: 18 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 11 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 9 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male, 79 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.0 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Netherlands Antillean(s); adjective—Netherlands
Antillean
Ethnic divisions: 85% mixed African; remainder Carib Indian, European,
Latin, and Oriental
Religion: predominantly Roman Catholic; Protestant, Jewish,
Seventh-Day Adventist
Language: Dutch (official); Papiamento, a Spanish-Portuguese-Dutch-English dialect predominates; English widely spoken; Spanish
Literacy: 95%
Labor force: 89,000; 65% government, 28% industry and commerce (1983)
Organized labor: 60-70% of labor force
- Government
Long-form name: none
Type: part of the Dutch realm—full autonomy in internal affairs granted in 1954
Capital: Willemstad
Administrative divisions: none (part of the Dutch realm)
Independence: none (part of the Dutch realm)
Constitution: 29 December 1954, Statute of the Realm of the Netherlands, as amended
Legal system: based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence
National holiday: Queen's Day, 30 April (1938)
Executive branch: Dutch monarch, governor, prime minister, vice prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: Parliament (Staten)
Judicial branch: Joint High Court of Justice
Leaders: Chief of State—Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard (since 30 April 1980), represented by Governor General Jaime SALEH (since October 1989);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Maria LIBERIA-PETERS (since 17 May 1988, previously served from September 1984 to November 1985)
Political parties and leaders: political parties are indigenous to each island:
Curacao—National People's Party (NVP), Maria
Liberia-Peters; New Antilles Movement (MAN), Domenico Felip Martina;
Democratic Party of Curacao (DP), Augustus Diaz; Workers' Liberation
Front (FOL), Wilson (Papa) Godett; Socialist Independent (SI), George
Hueck and Nelson Monte;
Bonaire—New Force, Rudy Ellis; Democratic Party of Bonaire (PDB),
John Evert (Jopie) Abraham;
Sint Maarten—Democratic Party of Sint Maarten, Claude Wathey;
Patriotic Movement of Sint Maarten, Romeo Paplophlet;
Sint Eustatius—Democratic Party of Sint Eustatius, Albert
K. Van Putten; Windward Islands People's Movement (WIPM), Eric Henriquez;
Saba—Windward Islands People's Movement (WIPM Saba), Will
Johnston; Saba Democratic Labor Movement, Vernon Hassell; Saba Unity
Party, Carmen Simmonds
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: Parliament—last held on 22 November 1985 (next to be held November 1989); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(22 total) PNP 6, MAN 4, DP-Curacao 3, DP-St. Maarten 3, DP-Bonaire 2, DP-St. Eustatius 1, FOL 1, UPB 1, WIPM 1; note—the government of Prime Minister Maria Liberia-Peters is a coalition of several parties
Communists: small leftist groups
Member of: EC (associate), INTERPOL; associated with UN through the
Netherlands; UPU, WMO
Diplomatic representation: as an autonomous part of the Netherlands,
Netherlands Antillean interests in the US are represented by the Netherlands;
US—Consul General Sharon P. WILKINSON; Consulate General at
St. Anna Boulevard 19, Willemstad, Curacao (mailing address P. O. Box 158,
Willemstad, Curacao); telephone (9) 613066
Flag: white with a horizontal blue stripe in the center superimposed on a vertical red band also centered; five white five-pointed stars are arranged in an oval pattern in the center of the blue band; the five stars represent the five main islands of Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten
- Economy Overview: Tourism, petroleum refining, and offshore finance are the mainstays of the economy. The islands enjoy a comparatively high per capita income and a well-developed infrastructure compared with other countries in the region. Unlike many Latin American countries, the Netherlands Antilles has avoided large international debt. Almost all consumer and capital goods are imported, with the US being the major supplier. The economy has suffered somewhat in recent years because of the depressed state of the world oil market and declining tax revenues. In 1983 the drop in oil prices led to the devaluation of the Venezuelan bolivar, which ended a substantial flow of Venezuelan tourists to the islands. As a result of a decline in tax revenues, the government has been seeking financial support from the Netherlands.
GDP: $1.0 billion, per capita $5,500; real growth rate 3% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.0% (1988)
Unemployment rate: 26.0% (1988)
Budget: revenues $180 million; expenditures $289 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1987 est.)
Exports: $1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities—petroleum products 98%; partners—US 55%, UK 7%, Jamaica 5%
Imports: $1.5 billion (c.i.f., 1988); commodities—crude petroleum 64%, food, manufactures; partners—Venezuela 52%, Nigeria 15%, US 12%
External debt: $701.2 million (December 1987)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 125,000 kW capacity; 365 million kWh produced, 1,990 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: tourism (Curacao and Sint Maarten), petroleum refining (Curacao), petroleum transshipment facilities (Curacao and Bonaire), light manufacturing (Curacao)
Agriculture: hampered by poor soils and scarcity of water; chief products—aloes, sorghum, peanuts, fresh vegetables, tropical fruit; not self-sufficient in food
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-79), $353 million
Currency: Netherlands Antillean guilder, gulden, or florin (plural—guilders, gulden, or florins); 1 Netherlands Antillean guilder, gulden, or florin (NAf.) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Netherlands Antillean guilders, gulden, or florins
(NAf.) per US$1—1.80 (fixed rate since 1971)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications
Highways: 950 km total; 300 km paved, 650 km gravel and earth
Ports: Willemstad, Philipsburg, Kralendijk
Merchant marine: 52 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 418,206 GRT/414,325 DWT; includes 4 passenger, 19 cargo, 5 refrigerated cargo, 7 container, 4 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 6 multifunction large-load carrier, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 2 liquefied gas, 2 bulk; note—all but a few are foreign owned
Civil air: 5 major transport aircraft
Airports: 7 total, 7 usable; 7 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: generally adequate facilities; extensive interisland radio relay links; stations—9 AM, 4 FM, 1 TV; 2 submarine cables; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
- Defense Forces Military Manpower: males 15-49 49,299; 27,888 fit for military service; 1,678 reach military age (20) annually
Note: defense is responsibility of the Netherlands —————————————————————————— Country: New Caledonia (overseas territory of France) - Geography Total area: 19,060 km2; land area: 18,760 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 2,254 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid
Terrain: coastal plains with interior mountains
Natural resources: nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead, copper
Land use: NEGL% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 14% meadows and pastures; 51% forest and woodland; 35% other
Environment: typhoons most frequent from November to March
Note: located 1,750 km east of Australia in the South Pacific
Ocean
- People
Population: 153,215 (July 1990), growth rate 1.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 24 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 7 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 39 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 64 years male, 71 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.0 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—New Caledonian(s); adjective—New Caledonian
Ethnic divisions: Melanesian 42.5%, European 37.1%, Wallisian 8.4%,
Polynesian 3.8%, Indonesian 3.6%, Vietnamese 1.6%, other 3.0%
Religion: over 60% Roman Catholic, 30% Protestant, 10% other
Language: French; Melanesian-Polynesian dialects
Labor force: 50,469; foreign workers for plantations and mines from
Wallis and Futuna, Vanuatu, and French Polynesia (1980 est.)
Organized labor: NA
- Government
Long-form name: Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies
Type: overseas territory of France
Capital: Noumea
Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of France)
Independence: none (overseas territory of France); note—a referendum on independence will be held in 1998, with a review of the issue in 1992
Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system: the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy to the islands; formerly under French law
National holiday: Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Executive branch: high commissioner, Consultative Committee (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral Territorial Assembly
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal
Leaders:
Chief of State—President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981);
Head of Government High Commissioner and President of the Council of Government Bernard GRASSET (since 15 July 1988)
Political parties: white-dominated Rassemblement pour la Caledonie
dans la Republique (RPCR), conservative; Melanesian proindependence Kanak
Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS); Melanesian moderate Kanak Socialist
Liberation (LKS); National Front (FN), extreme right; Caledonian
Separatist Front, extreme left
Suffrage: universal adult at age NA
Elections: Territorial Congress—last held NA June 1989 (next to be held NA 1993); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(54 total) RPCR 27, FLNKS 19, FN 3, others 5;
French Senate—last held 24 September 1989 (next to be held September 1992); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(1 total) RPCR 1;
French National Assembly—last held 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held June 1993); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(2 total) RPCR 2
Communists: number unknown; Palita extreme left party; some politically active Communists deported during 1950s; small number of North Vietnamese
Member of: EIB (associate), WFTU, WMO
Diplomatic representation: as an overseas territory of France,
New Caledonian interests are represented in the US by France
Flag: the flag of France is used
- Economy Overview: New Caledonia has more than 40% of the world's known nickel resources. In recent years the economy has suffered because of depressed international demand for nickel, the principal source of export earnings. Only a negligible amount of the land is suitable for cultivation, and food accounts for about 25% of imports.
GNP: $860 million, per capita $5,810; real growth rate 2.4% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.5% (1986)
Unemployment rate: 6.2% (1983)
Budget: revenues $110.5 million; expenditures $110.5 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1981)
Exports: $75 million (f.o.b., 1986); commodities—nickel metal 87%, nickel ore; partners—France 56.3%, Japan
Imports: $180 million (c.i.f., 1986); commodities—foods, fuels, minerals, machines, electrical equipment; partners—France 50.3%, Australia
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 400,000 kW capacity; 2,200 million kWh produced, 14,440 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: nickel mining
Agriculture: large areas devoted to cattle grazing; coffee, corn, wheat, vegetables; 60% self-sufficient in beef
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $3.6 billion
Currency: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (plural—francs); 1 CFP franc (CFPF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1—104.71 (January 1990), 115.99 (1989), 108.30 (1988), 109.27 (1987), 125.92 (1986), 163.35 (1985); note—linked at the rate of 18.18 to the French franc
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Highways: 5,448 km total; 558 km paved, 2,251 km improved earth, 2,639 km unimproved earth
Ports: Noumea, Nepoui, Poro, Thio
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
Airports: 29 total, 27 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: 32,578 telephones (1987); stations—5 AM, 3 FM, 7 TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of France
——————————————————————————
Country: New Zealand
- Geography
Total area: 268,680 km2; land area: 268,670 km2; includes
Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Campbell Island,
Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands
Comparative area: about the size of Colorado
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 15,134 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: territorial claim in Antarctica (Ross Dependency)
Climate: temperate with sharp regional contrasts
Terrain: predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains
Natural resources: natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold, limestone
Land use: 2% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 53% meadows and pastures; 38% forest and woodland; 7% other; includes 1% irrigated
Environment: earthquakes are common, though usually not severe
- People
Population: 3,295,866 (July 1990), growth rate 0.4% (1990)
Birth rate: 16 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 3 migrant/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 10 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 78 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 2.0 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—New Zealander(s); adjective—New Zealand
Ethnic divisions: 88% European, 8.9% Maori, 2.9% Pacific Islander, 0.2% other
Religion: 81% Christian, 18% none or unspecified, 1% Hindu, Confucian, and other
Language: English (official), Maori
Literacy: 99%
Labor force: 1,591,900; 67.4% services, 19.8% manufacturing, 9.3% primary production (1987)
Organized labor: 681,000 members; 43% of labor force (1986)
- Government
Long-form name: none; abbreviated NZ
Type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Wellington
Administrative divisions: 93 counties, 9 districts*, and
3 town districts**; Akaroa, Amuri, Ashburton, Bay of Islands, Bruce, Buller,
Chatham Islands, Cheviot, Clifton, Clutha, Cook, Dannevirke, Egmont, Eketahuna,
Ellesmere, Eltham, Eyre, Featherston, Franklin, Golden Bay,
Great Barrier Island, Grey, Hauraki Plains, Hawera*, Hawke's Bay, Heathcote,
Hikurangi**, Hobson, Hokianga, Horowhenua, Hurunui, Hutt, Inangahua, Inglewood,
Kaikoura, Kairanga, Kiwitea, Lake, Mackenzie, Malvern, Manaia**, Manawatu,
Mangonui, Maniototo, Marlborough, Masterton, Matamata, Mount Herbert, Ohinemuri,
Opotiki, Oroua, Otamatea, Otorohanga*, Oxford, Pahiatua, Paparua, Patea, Piako,
Pohangina, Raglan, Rangiora*, Rangitikei, Rodney, Rotorua*, Runanga,
Saint Kilda, Silverpeaks, Southland, Stewart Island, Stratford, Strathallan,
Taranaki, Taumarunui, Taupo, Tauranga, Thames-Coromandel*, Tuapeka, Vincent,
Waiapu, Waiheke, Waihemo, Waikato, Waikohu, Waimairi, Waimarino, Waimate,
Waimate West, Waimea, Waipa, Waipawa*, Waipukurau*, Wairarapa South, Wairewa,
Wairoa, Waitaki, Waitomo*, Waitotara, Wallace, Wanganui, Waverley**, Westland,
Whakatane*, Whangarei, Whangaroa, Woodville
Dependent areas: Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau
Independence: 26 September 1907 (from UK)
Constitution: no formal, written constitution; consists of various documents, including certain acts of the UK and New Zealand Parliaments; Constitution Act 1986 was to have come into force 1 January 1987, but has not been enacted
Legal system: based on English law, with special land legislation and land courts for Maoris; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty), 6 February (1840)
Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral House of Representatives (commonly called
Parliament)
Judicial branch: High Court, Court of Appeal
Leaders: Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II ( since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General The Most Rev. Sir Paul REEVES (since 20 November 1985);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Geoffrey PALMER (since 8 August 1989); Deputy Prime Minister Helen CLARK (since 8 August 1989)
Political parties and leaders: New Zealand Labor Party (NZLP; government),
Geoffrey Palmer; National Party (NP; opposition), Jim Bolger; Democratic Party,
Neil Morrison; Socialist Unity Party (SUP; pro-Soviet), Ken Douglas
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: House of Representatives—last held on 15 August 1987 (next to be held by August 1990); results—LP 47%, NP 45%, DP 6%; seats—(97 total) LP 58, NP 39
Communists: SUP about 140, other groups, about 200
Member of: ADB, ANZUS, ASPAC, CCC, Colombo Plan, Commonwealth,
DAC, ESCAP, FAO, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO,
IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ISO, ITU, OECD, SPF, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO,
WMO, WSG
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Harold Huyton FRANCIS; Chancery at 37 Observatory Circle NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 328-4800; there are New Zealand Consulates General in Los Angeles and New York; US—Ambassador Della NEWMAN; Embassy at 29 Fitzherbert Terrace, Thorndon, Wellington (mailing address is Private Bag, Wellington, or FPO San Francisco 96690-0001); telephone (4) 722-068; there is a US Consulate General in Auckland
Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant with four red five-pointed stars edged in white centered in the outer half of the flag; the stars represent the Southern Cross constellation
- Economy Overview: Since 1984 the government has been reorienting an agrarian economy dependent on a guaranteed British market to an open free market economy that can compete on the global scene. The government has hoped that dynamic growth would boost real incomes, reduce inflationary pressures, and permit the expansion of welfare benefits. The results have been mixed: inflation is down from double-digit levels but growth has been sluggish and unemployment, always a highly sensitive issue, has been at a record high 7.4%. In 1988 GDP fell by 1% and in 1989 grew by a moderate 2.4%.
GDP: $39.1 billion, per capita $11,600; real growth rate 2.4% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 7.4% (1989)
Budget: revenues $18.6 billion; expenditures $19.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY90 est.)
Exports: $8.9 billion (f.o.b., FY89); commodities—wool, lamb, mutton, beef, fruit, fish, cheese, manufactures, chemicals, foresty products; partners—EC 18.3%, Japan 17.9%, Australia 17.5%, US 13.5%, China 3.6%, South Korea 3.1%
Imports: $7.5 billion (c.i.f., FY89); commodities—petroleum, consumer goods, motor vehicles, industrial equipment; partners—Australia 19.7%, Japan 16.9%, EC 16.9%, US 15.3%, Taiwan 3.0%
External debt: $17.0 billion (1989)
Industrial production: growth rate - 1.6% (FY88)
Electricity: 7,800,000 kW capacity; 27,600 million kWh produced, 8,190 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: food processing, wood and paper products, textiles, machinery, transportation equipment, banking and insurance, tourism, mining
Agriculture: accounts for about 9% of GNP and 10% of the work force; livestock predominates—wool, meat, dairy products all export earners; crops—wheat, barley, potatoes, pulses, fruits, and vegetables; surplus producer of farm products; fish catch reached a record 431,000 metric tons in 1987
Aid: donor—ODA and OOF commitments (1970-87), $448 million
Currency: New Zealand dollar (plural—dollars); 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1—1.6581 (January 1990), 1.6708 (1989), 1.5244 (1988), 1.6886 (1987), 1.9088 (1986), 2.0064 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
- Communications Railroads: 4,716 km total; all 1.067-meter gauge; 274 km double track; 113 km electrified; over 99% government owned
Highways: 92,648 km total; 49,547 km paved, 43,101 km gravel or crushed stone
Inland waterways: 1,609 km; of little importance to transportation
Pipelines: 1,000 km natural gas; 160 km refined products; 150 km condensate
Ports: Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Wellington, Tauranga
Merchant marine: 18 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 190,553 GRT/257,782 DWT; includes 1 cargo, 2 container, 4 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 railcar carrier, 4 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 liquefied gas, 5 bulk
Civil air: about 40 major transport aircraft
Airports: 157 total, 157 usable; 33 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 47 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: excellent international and domestic systems; 2,110,000 telephones; stations 64 AM, 2 FM, 14 TV; submarine cables extend to Australia and Fiji; 2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
- Defense Forces
Branches: Royal New Zealand Navy, New Zealand Army, Royal New Zealand
Air Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 872,336; 740,207 fit for military service; 29,532 reach military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures: 2.1% of GDP, or $820 million (1989 est.)
——————————————————————————
Country: Nicaragua
- Geography
Total area: 129,494 km2; land area: 120,254 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than New York State
Land boundaries: 1,231 km total; Costa Rica 309 km, Honduras 922 km
Coastline: 910 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 25 nm security zone (status of claim uncertain);
Continental shelf: not specified;
Territorial sea: 200 nm
Disputes: territorial disputes with Colombia over the Archipelago de
San Andres y Providencia and Quita Sueno Bank
Climate: tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands
Terrain: extensive Atlantic coastal plains rising to central interior mountains; narrow Pacific coastal plain interrupted by volcanoes
Natural resources: gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish
Land use: 9% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 43% meadows and pastures; 35% forest and woodland; 12% other; including 1% irrigated
Environment: subject to destructive earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, and occasional severe hurricanes; deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
- People
Population: 3,722,683 (July 1990), growth rate 2.8% (1990)
Birth rate: 40 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 9 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 3 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 68 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 61 years male, 62 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 5.0 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Nicaraguan(s); adjective—Nicaraguan
Ethnic divisions: 69% mestizo, 17% white, 9% black, 5% Indian
Religion: 95% Roman Catholic, 5% Protestant
Language: Spanish (official); English- and Indian-speaking minorities on
Atlantic coast
Literacy: 88% (1981)
Labor force: 1,086,000; 43% service, 44% agriculture, 13% industry (1986)
Organized labor: 35% of labor force
- Government
Long-form name: Republic of Nicaragua
Type: republic
Capital: Managua
Administrative divisions: 9 administrative regions encompassing 17
departments (departamentos, singular—departamento); North, Atlantic Coast,
South, Atlantic Coast, Boaco, Carazo, Chinandega, Chontales, Esteli,
Granada, Jinotega, Leon, Madriz, Managua, Masaya, Matagalpa, Nueva Segovia,
Rio San Juan, Rivas
Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)
Constitution: January 1987
Legal system: civil law system; Supreme Court may review administrative acts
National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
Legislative branch: National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema) and municipal courts
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President-Elect Violeta
Barios de CHAMORRO (since 25 February 1990; takes office 25 April 1990);
Vice President-elect Virgilio GODOY (since 25 February 1990; takes office
25 April 1990)
Political parties and leaders:
Ruling coalition: National Opposition Union (UNO)—14 party
alliance: National Conservative Party (PNC), Silviano Matamoros;
Conservative Popular Alliance Party (PAPC), Miriam Arguello;
National Conservative Action Party (PANC), Hernaldo Zuniga;
National Democratic Confidence Party (PDCN), Augustin Jarquin;
Independent Liberal Party (PLI), Virgilio Godoy;
Neo-Liberal Party (PALI), Andres Zuniga;
Liberal Constitutionalist Party (PLC), Jose Ernesto Somarriba;
National Action Party (PAN), Eduardo Rivas;
Nicaraguan Socialist Party (PSN), Gustavo Tablada;
Communist Party of Nicaragua (PCdeN), Eli Altimirano;
Popular Social Christian Party (PPSC), Luis Humberto;
Nicaraguan Democratic Movement (MDN), Roberto Urroz;
Social Democratic Party (PSD), Guillermo Potoy;
Central American Integrationist Party (PIAC), Alejandro Perez;
Opposition parties: Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN),
Daniel Ortega;
Central American Unionist Party (PUCA), Blanca Rojas;
Democratic Conservative Party of Nicaragua (PCDN), Jose Brenes;
Liberal Party of National Unity (PLUIN), Eduardo Coronado;
Movement of Revolutionary Unity (MUR), Francisco Samper;
Social Christian Party (PSC), Erick Ramirez;
Revolutionary Workers' Party (PRT), Bonifacio Miranda;
Social Conservative Party (PSOC), Fernando Aguerro;
Popular Action Movement—Marxist-Leninist (MAP-ML), Isidro Tellez;
Popular Social Christian Party (PPSC), Mauricio Diaz
Suffrage: universal at age 16
Elections:
President—last held on 25 February 1990 (next to be held February
1996);
results—Violeta Barrios de Chamorro (UNO) 54.7%, Daniel Ortega Saavedra
(FSLN) 40.8%, others 4.5%;
National Constituent Assembly—last held on 25 February 1990 (next to be held February 1996); results—UNO 53.9%, FSLN 40.8%, PSC 1.6%, MUR 1.0%; seats—(92 total) UNO 51, FSLN 39, PSC 1, MUR 1
Communists: FSLN—35,000; other Communists—15,000-20,000
Other political or pressure groups: Permanent Congress of Workers
(CPT), Confederation of Labor Unification (CUS), Autonomous Nicaraguan
Workers' Central (CTN-A), Independent General Confederation of Workers
(CTG-I), Communist Labor Action and Unity Central (CAUS), Nicaraguan
Workers' Central (CST); Superior Council of Private Enterprise (COSEP) is
an umbrella group of 11 different business groups, including the Chamber of
Commerce, the Chamber of Industry, and the Nicaraguan Development Institute
(INDE)
Member of: CACM, CEMA (observer), FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC,
ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB—Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAS, ODECA, PAHO, SELA, UN,
UNESCO, UPEB, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Charge d'Affaires Leonor Arguello de HUPER; Chancery at 1627 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20009; telephone (202) 387-4371 or 4372; US—Charge d'Affaires John P. LEONARD; Embassy at Kilometer 4.5 Carretera Sur, Managua (mailing address is APO Miami 34021); telephone (2) 66010 or 66013, 66015 through 66018, 66026, 66027, 66032 through 66034; note—Nicaragua expelled the US Ambassador on 11 July 1988, and the US expelled the Nicaraguan Ambassador on 12 July 1988
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with the national coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms features a triangle encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on the top and AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom; similar to the flag of El Salvador which features a round emblem encircled by the words REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Honduras, which has five blue stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band
- Economy Overview: Government control of the economy historically has been extensive, although the new government has pledged to reduce it. The financial system is directly controlled by the state, which also regulates wholesale purchasing, production, sales, foreign trade, and distribution of most goods. Over 50% of the agricultural and industrial firms are state owned. Sandinista economic policies and the war have produced a severe economic crisis. The foundation of the economy continues to be the export of agricultural commodities, largely coffee and cotton. Farm production fell by roughly 7% in 1989, the fifth successive year of decline. The agricultural sector employs 44% of the work force and accounts for 23% of GDP and 86% of export earnings. Industry, which employs 13% of the work force and contributes 26% to GDP, showed a sharp drop of - 23% in 1988 and remains below pre-1979 levels. External debt is one of the highest in the world on a per capita basis. In 1989 the annual inflation rate was 1,700%, down from a record 16,000% in 1988. Shortages of basic consumer goods are widespread.
GDP: $1.7 billion, per capita $470; real growth rate - 5.0% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1,700% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 25% (1989)
Budget: revenues $0.9 billion; expenditures $1.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $0.15 billion (1987)
Exports: $250 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities—coffee, cotton, sugar, bananas, seafood, meat, chemicals; partners—CEMA 15%, OECD 75%, others 10%
Imports: $550 million (c.i.f., 1989 est.); commodities—petroleum, food, chemicals, machinery, clothing; partners—CEMA 55%, EC 20%, Latin America 10%, others 10%
External debt: $8 billion (year end 1988)
Industrial production: growth rate - 23% (1988 est.)
Electricity: 415,000 kW capacity; 1,340 million kWh produced, 380 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: food processing, chemicals, metal products, textiles, clothing, petroleum refining and distribution, beverages, footwear
Agriculture: accounts for 23% of GDP and 44% of work force; cash crops—coffee, bananas, sugarcane, cotton; food crops—rice, corn, cassava, citrus fruit, beans; variety of animal products—beef, veal, pork, poultry, dairy; while normally self-sufficient in food, war-induced shortages now exist
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-82), $290 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $981 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $3.3 billion
Currency: cordoba (plural—cordobas); 1 cordoba (C$) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: cordobas (C$) per US$1—65,000 (February 1990) is the free market rate; official rate is 46,000 (February 1990), 270 (1988), 0.103 (1987), 0.097 (1986), 0.039 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 373 km 1.067-meter gauge, government owned; majority of system not operating; 3 km 1.435-meter gauge line at Puerto Cabezas (does not connect with mainline)
Highways: 25,930 km total; 4,000 km paved (includes all 2,170 km gravel or crushed stone, 5,425 km earth or graded earth, 14,335 km unimproved, 368.5 km of the Pan-American highway)
Inland waterways: 2,220 km, including 2 large lakes
Pipelines: crude oil, 56 km
Ports: Corinto, El Bluff, Puerto Cabezas, Puerto Sandino, Rama
Merchant marine: 2 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,161
GRT/2,500 DWT
Civil air: 12 major transport aircraft
Airports: 261 total, 169 usable; 9 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 12 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: low-capacity radio relay and wire system being expanded; connection into Central American Microwave System; 60,000 telephones; stations—45 AM, no FM, 7 TV, 3 shortwave; satellite earth stations—1 Intersputnik and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT
- Defense Forces
Branches: Sandinista Popular Army, Sandinista Navy, Sandinista Air
Force/Air Defense, Sandinista People's Militia
Military manpower: males 15-49, 747,144; 459,333 fit for military service; 44,213 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: NA
——————————————————————————
Country: Niger
- Geography
Total area: 1,267,000 km2; land area: 1,266,700 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Land boundaries: 5,697 km total; Algeria 956 km, Benin 266 km,
Burkina 628 km, Chad 1,175 km, Libya 354 km, Mali 821 km, Nigeria 1,497 km
Coastline: none—landlocked
Maritime claims: none—landlocked
Disputes: Libya claims about 19,400 km2 in northern Niger; exact locations of the Chad-Niger-Nigeria and Cameroon-Chad-Nigeria tripoints in Lake Chad have not been determined, so the boundary has not been demarcated and border incidents have resulted; Burkina and Mali are proceeding with boundary demarcation, including the tripoint with Niger
Climate: desert; mostly hot, dry, dusty; tropical in extreme south
Terrain: predominately desert plains and sand dunes; flat to rolling plains in south; hills in north
Natural resources: uranium, coal, iron ore, tin, phosphates
Land use: 3% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 7% meadows and pastures; 2% forest and woodland; 88% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: recurrent drought and desertification severely affecting marginal agricultural activities; overgrazing; soil erosion
Note: landlocked
- People
Population: 7,969,309 (July 1990), growth rate 3.6% (1990)
Birth rate: 52 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 17 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 131 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 48 years male, 53 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 7.4 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Nigerien(s) adjective—Nigerien
Ethnic divisions: 56% Hausa; 22% Djerma; 8.5% Fula; 8% Tuareg; 4.3% Beri Beri (Kanouri); 1.2% Arab, Toubou, and Gourmantche; about 4,000 French expatriates
Religion: 80% Muslim, remainder indigenous beliefs and Christians
Language: French (official); Hausa, Djerma
Literacy: 13.9%
Labor force: 2,500,000 wage earners (1982); 90% agriculture, 6% industry and commerce, 4% government; 51% of population of working age (1985)
Organized labor: negligible
- Government
Long-form name: Republic of Niger
Type: republic; presidential system in which military officers hold key offices
Capital: Niamey
Administrative divisions: 7 departments (departements, singular—departement); Agadez, Diffa, Dosso, Maradi, Niamey, Tahoua, Zinder
Independence: 3 August 1960 (from France)
Constitution: adopted NA December 1989 after 15 years of military rule
Legal system: based on French civil law system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holidays: Republic Day, 18 December (1958)
Executive branch: president, prime minister, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: National Development Council
Judicial branch: State Court (Cour d'Etat), Court of Appeal
(Cour d'Apel)
Leaders:
Chief of State—President Brig. Gen. Ali SAIBOU (since 14 November 1987);
Head of Government—Prime Minister ALIOU MAHAMIDA (since 2 March 1990)
Political parties and leaders: only party—National Movement for the Development Society (MNSD), leader NA
Suffrage: universal adult at age 18
Elections: President—last held December 1989 (next to be held NA 1996); results—President Ali Saibou was reelected without opposition;
National Development Council—last held December 1989 (next to be held NA 1994); results—MNSD is the only party; seats—(150 total) MNSD 150 (indirectly elected)
Communists: no Communist party; some sympathizers in outlawed Sawaba party
Member of: ACP, AfDB, APC, CCC, CEAO, EAMA, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente,
FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB—Islamic Development Bank,
IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU, Lake Chad Basin
Commission, Niger River Commission, NAM, OAU, OCAM, OIC, UN, UNESCO,
UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Moumouni Adamou DJERMAKOYE; Chancery at 2204 R Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 483-4224 through 4227; US—Ambassador Carl C. CUNDIFF; Embassy at Avenue des Ambassadeurs, Niamey (mailing address is B. P. 11201, Niamey); telephone 72-26-61 through 64 and 72-26-70
Flag: three equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and green with a small orange disk (representing the sun) centered in the white band; similar to the flag of India which has a blue, spoked wheel centered in the white band
- Economy
Overview: About 90% of the population is engaged in farming and stock rearing, activities which generate almost half of the national income. The economy also depends heavily on exploitation of large uranium deposits. Uranium production grew rapidly in the mid-1970s, but tapered off in the early 1980s, when world prices declined. France is a major customer, while FRG, Japan, and Spain also make regular purchases. The depressed demand for uranium has contributed to an overall sluggishness in the economy, a severe trade imbalance, and a mounting external debt.
GDP: $2.4 billion, per capita $330; real growth rate 7.1% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): - 1.4% (1988)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $254 million; expenditures $510 million, including capital expenditures of $239 million (1988 est.)
Exports: $371 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.); commodities—uranium 76%, livestock, cowpeas, onions, hides, skins; partners—NA
Imports: $441 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.); commodities—petroleum products, primary materials, machinery, vehicles and parts, electronic equipment, pharmaceuticals, chemical products, cereals, foodstuffs
External debt: $1.8 billion (December 1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 4.7% (1989 est.)
Electricity: 102,000 kW capacity; 225 million kWh produced, 30 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: cement, brick, rice mills, small cotton gins, oilseed presses, slaughterhouses, and a few other small light industries; uranium production began in 1971
Agriculture: accounts for roughly 40% of GDP and 90% of labor force; cash crops—cowpeas, cotton, peanuts; food crops—millet, sorghum, cassava, rice; livestock—cattle, sheep, goats; self-sufficient in food except in drought years
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $349 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $2.8 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $504 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $61 million
Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural—francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1—287.99 (January 1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
- Communications Highways: 39,970 km total; 3,170 km bituminous, 10,330 km gravel and laterite, 3,470 km earthen, 23,000 km tracks
Inland waterways: Niger river is navigable 300 km from Niamey to Gaya on the Benin frontier from mid-December through March
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
Airports: 31 total, 29 usable; 7 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 11 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: small system of wire, radiocommunications, and radio
relay links concentrated in southwestern area; 11,900 telephones; stations—15
AM, 5 FM, 16 TV; satellite earth stations—1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian
Ocean INTELSAT, and 4 domestic
- Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Air Force, paramilitary Gendarmerie, paramilitary
Republican Guard, paramilitary Presidential Guard, paramilitary National Police
Military manpower: males 15-49, 1,656,466; 894,095 fit for military service; 87,478 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: $20.6 million (1988)
——————————————————————————
Country: Nigeria
- Geography
Total area: 923,770 km2; land area: 910,770 km2
Comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of California
Land boundaries: 4,047 km total; Benin 773 km, Cameroon 1,690 km,
Chad 87 km, Niger 1,497 km
Coastline: 853 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 30 nm
Disputes: exact locations of the Chad-Niger-Nigeria and Cameroon-Chad-Nigeria tripoints in Lake Chad have not been determined, so the boundary has not been demarcated and border incidents have resulted; Nigerian proposals to reopen maritime boundary negotiations and redemarcate the entire land boundary have been rejected by Cameroon
Climate: varies—equatorial in south, tropical in center, arid in north
Terrain: southern lowlands merge into central hills and plateaus; mountains in southeast, plains in north
Natural resources: crude oil, tin, columbite, iron ore, coal, limestone, lead, zinc, natural gas
Land use: 31% arable land; 3% permanent crops; 23% meadows and pastures; 15% forest and woodland; 28% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: recent droughts in north severely affecting marginal agricultural activities; desertification; soil degradation, rapid deforestation
- People
Population: 118,819,377 (July 1990), growth rate 3.0% (1990)
Birth rate: 46 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 17 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 1 migrant/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 119 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 48 years male, 49 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.5 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Nigerian(s); adjective—Nigerian
Ethnic divisions: more than 250 tribal groups; Hausa and Fulani of the north, Yoruba of the southwest, and Ibos of the southeast make up 65% of the population; about 27,000 non-Africans
Religion: 50% Muslim, 40% Christian, 10% indigenous beliefs
Language: English (official); Hausa, Yoruba, Ibo, Fulani, and several other languages also widely used
Literacy: 42.4%
Labor force: 42,844,000; 54% agriculture, 19% industry, commerce, and services, 15% government; 49% of population of working age (1985)
Organized labor: 3,520,000 wage earners belong to 42 recognized trade unions, which come under a single national labor federation—the Nigerian Labor Congress (NLC)
- Government
Long-form name: Federal Republic of Nigeria
Type: military government since 31 December 1983
Capital: Lagos
Administrative divisions: 21 states and 1 territory*;
Abuja Capital Territory*, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bendel, Benue, Borno,
Cross River, Gongola, Imo, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kwara, Lagos, Niger, Ogun,
Ondo, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto
Independence: 1 October 1960 (from UK)
Constitution: 1 October 1979, amended 9 February 1984, revised 1989
Legal system: based on English common law, Islamic, and tribal law
National holiday: Independence Day, 1 October (1960)
Executive branch: president of the Armed Forces Ruling Council,
Armed Forces Ruling Council, National Council of State, Council of
Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: National Assembly was dissolved after the military coup of 31 December 1983
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Federal Court of Appeal
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President and Commander in
Chief of Armed Forces Gen. Ibrahim BABANGIDA (since 27 August 1985)
Political parties and leaders: two political parties established by the government in 1989—Social Democratic Party (SDP) and National Republican Convention (NRC)
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections:
President—scheduled for 1 October 1992
Communists: the pro-Communist underground consists of a small fraction of the Nigerian left; leftist leaders are prominent in the country's central labor organization but have little influence on government
Member of: ACP, AfDB, APC, CCC, Commonwealth, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO,
G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMO, IMF,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IRC, ISO, ITC, ITU, IWC—International Wheat
Council, Lake Chad Basin Commission, Niger River Commission, NAM, OAU,
OPEC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Hamzat AHMADU; Chancery at 2201 M Street NW, Washington DC 20037; telephone (202) 822-1500; there are Nigerian Consulates General in Atlanta, New York and San Francisco; US—Ambassador Lannon WALKER; Embassy at 2 Eleke Crescent, Victoria Island, Lagos (mailing address is P. O. Box 554, Lagos); telephone (1) 610097; there is a US Consulate General in Kaduna
Flag: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green
- Economy Overview: In 1989, despite rising oil prices, the economic performance failed to meet government expectations because of higher inflationary pressures fueled by a relatively poor agricultural performance. Agricultural production was up only 4% following a 10% decline in 1988, and manufacturing remained below the 1985 level with only a 6% increase. The government is continuing an economic adjustment program to reduce Nigeria's dependence on oil and to help create a basis for sustainable noninflationary growth.
GNP: $30.0 billion, per capita $270; real growth rate 4% (1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 47.5% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 7.5% (1988 est.)
Budget: revenues $6.5 billion; expenditures $7.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.9 billion (1988 est.)
Exports: $8.4 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities—oil 95%, cocoa, palm kernels, rubber; partners—EC 51%, US 32%
Imports: $5.7 billion (c.i.f., 1989 est.); commodities—consumer goods, capital equipment, chemicals, raw materials; partners—EC, US
External debt: $32 billion, medium and long-term (December 1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 5% (1987 est.)
Electricity: 4,737,000 kW capacity; 11,270 million kWh produced, 100 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: mining—crude oil, natural gas, coal, tin, columbite; primary processing industries—palm oil, peanut, cotton, rubber, petroleum, wood, hides and skins; manufacturing industries—textiles, cement, building materials, food products, footwear, chemical, printing, ceramics, steel
Agriculture: accounts for 28% of GNP and half of labor force; inefficient small-scale farming dominates; once a large net exporter of food and now an importer; cash crops—cocoa, peanuts, palm oil, rubber; food crops—corn, rice, sorghum, millet, cassava, yams; livestock—cattle, sheep, goats, pigs; fishing and forestry resources extensively exploited
Illicit drugs: illicit heroin and some cocaine trafficking; marijuana cultivation for domestic consumption and export; major transit country for heroin en route from Southwest Asia via Africa to Western Europe and the US; growing transit route for cocaine from South America via West Africa to Western Europe and the US
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $662 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1.9 billion; Communist countries (1970-88), $2.2 billion
Currency: naira (plural—naira); 1 naira (N) = 100 kobo
Exchange rates: naira (N) per US$1—7.6221 (December 1989), 7.3647 (1989), 4.5370 (1988), 4.0160 (1987), 1.7545 (1986), 0.8938 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications
Railroads: 3,505 km 1.067-meter gauge
Highways: 107,990 km total 30,019 km paved (mostly bituminous-surface treatment); 25,411 km laterite, gravel, crushed stone, improved earth; 52,560 km unimproved
Inland waterways: 8,575 km consisting of Niger and Benue Rivers and smaller rivers and creeks
Pipelines: 2,042 km crude oil; 500 km natural gas; 3,000 km refined products
Ports: Lagos, Port Harcourt, Calabar, Warri, Onne, Sapele
Merchant marine: 28 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 428,116 GRT/680,343 DWT; includes 19 cargo, 1 refrigerated, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 5 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 1 bulk
Civil air: 76 major transport aircraft
Airports: 84 total, 72 usable; 32 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 13 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 22 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: above-average system limited by poor maintenance; major expansion in progress; radio relay and cable routes; 155,000 telephones; stations—37 AM, 19 FM, 38 TV; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, domestic, with 19 stations; 1 coaxial submarine cable
- Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary Police Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 27,282,248; 15,587,485 fit for military service; 1,263,883 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: 1% of GNP, or $300 million (1990 est.) —————————————————————————— Country: Niue (free association with New Zealand) - Geography Total area: 260 km2; land area: 260 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 64 km
Maritime claims:
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; modified by southeast trade winds
Terrain: steep limestone cliffs along coast, central plateau
Natural resources: fish, arable land
Land use: 61% arable land; 4% permanent crops; 4% meadows and pastures; 19% forest and woodland; 12% other
Environment: subject to typhoons
Note: one of world's largest coral islands; located about 460 km east of Tonga
- People
Population: 2,019 (July 1990), growth rate NA (1990)
Birth rate: NA births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: NA deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: NA migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: NA years male, NA years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Niuean(s); adjective—Niuean
Ethnic divisions: Polynesian, with some 200 Europeans, Samoans, and
Tongans
Religion: 75% Ekalesia Nieue (Niuean Church)—a Protestant church closely related to the London Missionary Society, 10% Mormon, 5% Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventist
Language: Polynesian tongue closely related to Tongan and Samoan; English
Literacy: NA%, but education compulsory between 5 and 14 years of age
Labor force: 1,000 (1981 est.); most work on family plantations; paid work exists only in government service, small industry, and the Niue Development Board
Organized labor: NA
- Government
Long-form name: none
Type: self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand
Capital: Alofi
Administrative divisions: none
Independence: none (self-governing territory in free association with
New Zealand)
Constitution: no formal, written constitution
Legal system: English common law
National holiday: Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty), 6 February (1840)
Executive branch: British monarch, premier, Cabinet
Legislative branch: Legislative Assembly
Judicial branch: Appeal Court of New Zealand, High Court
Leaders: Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by New Zealand Representative John SPRINGFORD (since 1974);
Head of Government—Premier Sir Robert R. REX (since NA October 1974)
Suffrage: universal adult at age 18
Political parties and leaders: Niue People's Action Party, leader NA
Elections: Legislative Assembly—last held on 28 March 1987 (next to be held NA 1990); results—percent of vote NA; seats—(20 total, 6 elected) independents 5, Niue People's Action Party 1
Member of: ESCAP (associate member), SPF
Diplomatic representation: none (self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand)
Flag: yellow with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the flag of the UK bears five yellow five-pointed stars—a large one on a blue disk in the center and a smaller one on each arm of the bold red cross
- Economy Overview: The economy is heavily dependent on aid from New Zealand. Government expenditures regularly exceed revenues, with the shortfall made up by grants from New Zealand—the grants are used to pay wages to the 80% or more of the work force employed in public service. The agricultural sector consists mainly of subsistence gardening, although some cash crops are grown for export. Industry consists primarily of small factories to process passion fruit, lime oil, honey, and coconut cream. The sale of postage stamps to foreign collectors is an important source of revenue. The island in recent years has suffered a serious loss of population because of migration of Niueans to New Zealand.
GNP: $2.1 million, per capita $1,000; real growth rate NA% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.6% (1984)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $5.5 million; expenditures $6.3 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY85 est.)
Exports: $175,274 (f.o.b., 1985); commodities—canned coconut cream, copra, honey, passion fruit products, pawpaw, root crops, limes, footballs, stamps, handicrafts; partners—NZ 89%, Fiji, Cook Islands, Australia
Imports: $3.8 million (c.i.f., 1985); commodities—food, live animals, manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, lubricants, chemicals, drugs; partners—NZ 59%, Fiji 20%, Japan 13%, Western Samoa, Australia, US
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 1,500 kW capacity; 3 million kWh produced, 1,420 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: tourist, handicrafts
Agriculture: copra, coconuts, passion fruit, honey, limes; subsistence crops—taro, yams, cassava (tapioca), sweet potatoes; pigs, poultry, beef cattle
Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $58 million
Currency: New Zealand dollar (plural—dollars); 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1—1.6581 (January 1990),
1.6708 (1989), 1.5244 (1988), 1.6886 (1987), 1.9088 (1986), 2.0064 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
- Communications
Highways: 123 km all-weather roads, 106 km access and plantation roads
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway of 1,650 m
Telecommunications: single-line telephone system connects all villages on island; 383 telephones; 1,000 radio receivers (1987 est.); stations—1 AM, 1 FM, no TV
- Defense Forces Note: defense is the responsibility of New Zealand —————————————————————————— Country: Norfolk Island (territory of Australia) - Geography Total area: 34.6 km2; land area: 34.6 km2
Comparative area: about 0.2 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 32 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: subtropical, mild, little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain: volcanic formation with mostly rolling plains
Natural resources: fish
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 25% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 75% other
Environment: subject to typhoons (especially May to July)
Note: located 1,575 km east of Australia in the South Pacific
Ocean
- People
Population: 2,533 (July 1990), growth rate 1.7% (1990)
Birth rate: NA births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: NA deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: NA migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: NA deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: NA years male, NA years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: NA children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Norfolk Islander(s); adjective—Norfolk Islander(s)
Ethnic divisions: descendants of the Bounty mutiny; more recently,
Australian and New Zealand settlers
Religion: Anglican, Roman Catholic, Uniting Church in
Australia, and Seventh-Day Adventist
Language: English (official) and Norfolk—a mixture of 18th century
English and ancient Tahitian
Literacy: NA%, but probably high
Labor force: NA
Organized labor: NA
- Government
Long-form name: Territory of Norfolk Island
Type: territory of Australia
Capital: Kingston (administrative center), Burnt Pine (commercial center)
Administrative divisions: none (territory of Australia)
Independence: none (territory of Australia)
Constitution: Norfolk Island Act of 1957
Legal system: wide legislative and executive responsibility under the
Norfolk Island Act of 1979; Supreme Court
National holiday: Pitcairners Arrival Day Anniversary, 8 June (1856)
Executive branch: British monarch, governor general of Australia, administrator, Executive Council (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Administrator H. B. MACDONALD (since NA 1989), who is appointed by the Governor General of Australia;
Head of Government—Assembly President and Chief Minister John
Terence BROWN (since NA)
Political parties and leaders: NA
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: Legislative Assembly—last held NA (next to be held NA); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(9 total) percent of seats by party NA
Diplomatic representation: none (territory of Australia)
Flag: three vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green with a large green Norfolk Island pine tree centered in the slightly wider white band
- Economy Overview: The primary economic activity is tourism, which has brought a level of prosperity unusual among inhabitants of the Pacific Islands. The number of visitors has increased steadily over the years and reached almost 30,000 in 1986. Revenues from tourism have given the island a favorable balance of trade and helped the agricultural sector to become self-sufficient in the production of beef, poultry, and eggs.