Chapter 7
Gnp: Na
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $3.4 million; expenditures $3.4 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY88)
Exports: $1.8 million (f.o.b., FY85); commodities—postage stamps, seeds of the Norfolk Island pine and Kentia Palm, small quantities of avocados; partners—Australia, Pacific Islands, NZ, Asia, Europe
Imports: $16.3 million (c.i.f., FY85); commodities—NA; partners—Australia, Pacific Islands, NZ, Asia, Europe
External debt: NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 7,000 kW capacity; 8 million kWh produced, 3,210 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: tourism
Agriculture: Norfolk Island pine seed, Kentia palm seed, cereals, vegetables, fruit, cattle, poultry
Aid: none
Currency: Australian dollar (plural—dollars); 1 Australian dollar ($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 Highways: 80 km of roads, including 53 km of sealed roads; remainder are earth formed or coral surfaced
Ports: none; loading jetties at Kingston and Cascade
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runways 1,220-2,439 m
(Australian owned)
Telecommunications: 1,500 radio receivers (1982); radio link service with Sydney; 987 telephones (1983); stations—1 AM, no FM, no TV
- Defense Forces Note: defense is the responsibility of Australia —————————————————————————— Country: Northern Mariana Islands (commonwealth associated with the US) - Geography Total area: 477 km2; land area: 477 km2; includes Saipan, Rota, and Tinian
Comparative area: slightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 1,482 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: tropical marine; moderated by northeast trade winds, little seasonal temperature variation; dry season December to July, rainy season July to October
Terrain: southern islands are limestone with level terraces and fringing coral reefs; northern islands are volcanic; highest elevation is 471 meters (Mt. Tagpochu on Saipan)
Natural resources: arable land, fish
Land use: 1% arable land; NA% permanent crops; 19% meadows and pastures; NA% forest and woodland; NA% other
Environment: Mt. Pagan is an active volcano (last erupted in October 1988); subject to typhoons during the rainy season
Note: strategic location 5,635 km west-southwest of Honolulu in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way between Hawaii and the Philippines
- People
Population: 22,719 (July 1990), growth rate 3.4% (1990)
Birth rate: 43 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 3 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 17 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 65 years male, 70 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 5.8 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: undetermined
Ethnic divisions: Chamorro majority; Carolinians and other Micronesians;
Spanish, German, Japanese admixtures
Religion: Christian with a Roman Catholic majority, although traditional beliefs and taboos may still be found
Language: English, but Chamorro and Carolinian are also spoken in the home and taught in school
Literacy: NA%
Labor force: 17,533, including 10,000 foreign workers (1988 est.)
Organized labor: NA
- Government
Long-form name: Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
Type: commonwealth associated with the US and administered by the
Office of Territorial and International Affairs, US Department of the
Interior
Capital: Saipan
Administrative divisions: none
Independence: none (commonwealth associated with the US)
Constitution: Covenant Agreement effective 3 November 1986
Legal system: NA
National holiday: Commonwealth Day, 8 January (1978)
Executive branch: governor, lieutenant governor
Legislative branch: bicameral Legislature consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State—President George BUSH (since 20 January 1989);
Vice President Dan QUAYLE (since 20 January 1989);
Head of Government—Governor Pedro P. TENORIO (since 1978);
Lieutenant Governor Pedro A. TENORIO (since NA)
Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party, Antonio S. Guerrero;
Republican Party, Alonso Igisomar
Suffrage: universal at age 18; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections
Elections: Governor—last held on NA (next to be held NA); results—Pedro P. TENORIO (Democratic Party) was elected;
Senate—last held on NA (next to be held NA); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(9 total) number of seats by party NA;
House of Representatives—last held on NA (next to be held NA); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(14 total) number of seats by party NA;
US House of Representatives—last held NA (next to be held NA); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(1 total) party of nonvoting delegate NA
Diplomatic representation: none
Flag: blue with a white five-pointed star superimposed on the gray silhouette of a latte stone (a traditional foundation stone used in building) in the center
- Economy Overview: The economy benefits substantially from financial assistance from the US. An agreement for the years 1986 to 1992 entitles the islands to $228 million for capital development, government operations, and special programs. Another major source of income is the tourist industry, which employs about 10% of the work force. The agricultural sector is made up of cattle ranches and small farms producing coconuts, breadfruit, tomatoes, and melons. Industry is small scale in nature—mostly handicrafts and fish processing.
GNP: $165 million, per capita $9,170; real growth rate NA% (1982)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $NA; expenditures $70.6 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1987)
Exports: $NA; commodities—vegetables, beef, pork; partners—NA
Imports: $NA; commodities—NA; partners—NA
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 25,000 kW capacity; 35 million kWh produced, 1,640 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: tourism, construction, light industry, handicrafts
Agriculture: coffee, coconuts, fruits, tobacco, cattle
Aid: none
Currency: US currency is used
Exchange rates: US currency is used
Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
- Communications
Highways: 300 km total (53 km primary, 55 km secondary, 192 km local)
Ports: Saipan, Rota, Tinian
Airports: 6 total, 4 usable; 3 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: stations—2 AM, no FM, 1 TV; 2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
- Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the US
——————————————————————————
Country: Norway
- Geography
Total area: 324,220 km2; land area: 307,860 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than New Mexico
Land boundaries: 2,582 km total; Finland 729 km, Sweden 1,657,
USSR 196 km
Coastline: 21,925 km (3,419 km mainland; 2,413 km large islands; 16,093 km long fjords, numerous small islands, and minor indentations)
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 10 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 4 nm
Disputes: maritime boundary dispute with USSR; territorial claim in Antarctica (Queen Maud Land); Denmark has challenged Norway's maritime claims beween Greenland and Jan Mayen
Climate: temperate along coast, modified by North Atlantic Current; colder interior; rainy year-round on west coast
Terrain: glaciated; mostly high plateaus and rugged mountains broken by fertile valleys; small, scattered plains; coastline deeply indented by fjords; arctic tundra in north
Natural resources: crude oil, copper, natural gas, pyrites, nickel, iron ore, zinc, lead, fish, timber, hydropower
Land use: 3% arable land; 0% permanent crops; NEGL% meadows and pastures; 27% forest and woodland; 70% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: air and water pollution; acid rain
Note: strategic location adjacent to sea lanes and air routes in
North Atlantic; one of most rugged and longest coastlines in world; Norway and
Turkey only NATO members having a land boundary with the USSR
- People
Population: 4,252,806 (July 1990), growth rate 0.5% (1990)
Birth rate: 14 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 11 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: 73 years male, 81 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Norwegian(s); adjective—Norwegian
Ethnic divisions: Germanic (Nordic, Alpine, Baltic) and racial-cultural minority of 20,000 Lapps
Religion: 94% Evangelical Lutheran (state church), 4% other Protestant and
Roman Catholic, 2% other
Language: Norwegian (official); small Lapp- and Finnish-speaking minorities
Literacy: 100%
Labor force: 2,164,000; 33.6% services, 17.4% commerce, 16.6% mining and manufacturing, 8.4% transportation, 7.8% construction, 6.8% banking and financial services, 6.5% agriculture, forestry, and fishing (1986)
Organized labor: 66% of labor force (1985)
- Government
Long-form name: Kingdom of Norway
Type: constitutional monarchy
Capital: Oslo
Administrative divisions: 19 provinces (fylker, singular—fylke);
Akershus, Aust-Agder, Buskerud, Finnmark, Hedmark, Hordaland, More og Romsdal,
Nordland, Nord-Trondelag, Oppland, Oslo, Ostfold, Rogaland,
Sogn og Fjordane, Sor-Trondelag, Telemark, Troms, Vest-Agder, Vestfold
Independence: 26 October 1905 (from Sweden)
Constitution: 17 May 1814, modified in 1884
Dependent areas: Bouvet Island, Jan Mayen, Svalbard
Legal system: mixture of customary law, civil law system, and common law traditions; Supreme Court renders advisory opinions to legislature when asked; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Constitution Day, 17 May (1814)
Executive branch: monarch, prime minister, State Council (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (Storting or Stortinget) with an Upper Chamber (Lagting) and a Lower Chamber (Odelsting)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Hoiesterett)
Leaders:
Chief of State—King OLAV V (since 21 September 1957); Heir Apparent
Crown Prince HARALD (born 21 February 1937);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Jan P. SYSE (since 16 October 1989)
Political parties and leaders: Labor, Gro Harlem Brundtland;
Conservative, Jan P. Syse; Center, Johan J. Jakobsen; Christian
People's, Kjell Magne Bondevik; Socialist Left, Eric Solheim; Norwegian
Communist, Hans I. Kleven; Progress, Carl I. Hagen; Liberal, Arne
Fjortoft; Finnmark List, leader NA
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: Parliament—last held on 11 September 1989 (next to be held 6 September 1993); results—Labor 34.3%, Conservative 22.2%, Progress 13.0%, Socialist Left 10.1%, Christian People's 8.5%, Center 6.6%, Finnmark List 0.3%, others 5%; seats—(165 total) Labor 63, Conservative 37, Progress 22, Socialist Left 17, Christian People's 14, Center 11, Finnmark List 1
Communists: 15,500 est.; 5,500 Norwegian Communist Party (NKP); 10,000
Workers Communist Party Marxist-Leninist (AKP-ML, pro-Chinese)
Member of: ADB, CCC, Council of Europe, DAC, EFTA, ESA, FAO,
GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICES, ICO, IDA, IEA (associate member),
IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, ITU,
IWC—International Whaling Commission, IWC—International
Wheat Council, NATO, Nordic Council, OECD, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WSG
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Kjeld VIBE; Chancery at 2720 34th Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 333-6000; there are Norwegian Consulates General in Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, and San Francisco, and Consulates in Miami and New Orleans; US—Ambassador Loret Miller RUPPE; Embassy at Drammensveien 18, Oslo 2 (mailing address is APO New York 09085); telephone (2) 44-85-50
Flag: red with a blue cross outlined in white that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)
- Economy Overview: Norway is a prosperous capitalist nation with the resources to finance extensive welfare measures. Since 1975 exploitation of large crude oil and natural gas reserves has helped achieve an average annual growth of roughly 4%, the third-highest among OECD countries. Growth slackened in 1987-88 because of the sharp drop in world oil prices and a slowdown in consumer spending, but picked up again in 1989. Future economic issues involve the aging of the population, the increased economic integration of Europe, and the balance between private and public influence in economic decisions.
GDP: $75.8 billion, per capita $17,900; real growth rate 5.7% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.5% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 3.9% (1989 est., excluding people in job-training programs)
Budget: revenues $40.6 billion; expenditures $41.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989)
Exports: $22.2 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities—petroleum and petroleum products 25%, natural gas 11%, fish 7%, aluminum 6%, ships 3.5%, pulp and paper; partners—UK 26%, EFTA 16.3%, less developed countries 14%, Sweden 12%, FRG 12%, US 6%, Denmark 5% (1988)
Imports: $18.7 billion (c.i.f., 1989); commodities—machinery, fuels and lubricants, transportation equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs, clothing, ships; partners—Sweden 18%, less developed countries 18%, FRG 14%, Denmark 8%, UK 7%, US 7%, Japan 5% (1988)
External debt: $18.3 billion (December 1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 15.8% (1989)
Electricity: 26,735,000 kW capacity; 121,685 million kWh produced, 28,950 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: petroleum and gas, food processing, shipbuilding, pulp and paper products, metals, chemicals, timber, mining, textiles, fishing
Agriculture: accounts for 3.1% of GNP and 6.5% of labor force; among world's top 10 fishing nations; livestock output exceeds value of crops; over half of food needs imported; fish catch of 1.9 million metric tons in 1987
Aid: donor—ODA and OOF commitments (1970-87), $3.7 billion
Currency: Norwegian krone (plural—kroner); 1 Norwegian krone (NKr) = 100 ore
Exchange rates: Norwegian kroner (NKr) per US$1—6.5405 (January 1990), 6.9045 (1989), 6.5170 (1988), 6.7375 (1987), 7.3947 (1986), 8.5972 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications
Railroads: 4,223 km 1.435-meter standard gauge; Norwegian State Railways
(NSB) operates 4,219 km (2,450 km electrified and 96 km double track); 4
km other
Highways: 79,540 km total; 18,600 km concrete, bituminous, stone block; 19,980 km bituminous treated; 40,960 km gravel, crushed stone, and earth
Inland waterways: 1,577 km along west coast; 1.5-2.4 m draft vessels maximum
Pipelines: refined products, 53 km
Ports: Oslo, Bergen, Fredrikstad, Kristiansand, Stavanger,
Trondheim
Merchant marine: 660 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 16,702,254 GRT/28,722,304 DWT; includes 11 passenger, 19 short-sea passenger, 104 cargo, 3 passenger-cargo, 19 refrigerated cargo, 6 container, 40 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 6 vehicle carrier, 1 railcar carrier, 128 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 86 chemical tanker, 62 liquefied gas, 26 combination ore/oil, 142 bulk, 7 combination bulk; note—the government has created a captive register, the Norwegian International Ship Register (NIS), as a subset of the Norwegian register; ships on the NIS enjoy many benefits of flags of convenience and do not have to be crewed by Norwegians; the majority of ships under the Norwegian flag are now registered with the NIS
Civil air: 76 major transport aircraft
Airports: 104 total, 104 usable; 64 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 12 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 16 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: high-quality domestic and international telephone, telegraph, and telex services; 3,102,000 telephones; stations—8 AM, 46 (1,400 relays) FM, 55 (2,100 relays) TV; 4 coaxial submarine cables; communications satellite earth stations operating in the EUTELSAT, INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean), MARISAT, and domestic systems
- Defense Forces
Branches: Royal Norwegian Army, Royal Norwegian Navy, Royal Norwegian Air
Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 1,115,620; 937,555 fit for military service; 32,748 reach military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures: 3.3% of GDP, or $2.5 billion (1989 est.)
——————————————————————————
Country: Oman
- Geography
Total area: 212,460 km2; land area: 212,460 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Kansas
Land boundaries: 1,374 km total; Saudi Arabia 676 km, UAE 410 km,
PDRY 288 km
Coastline: 2,092 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: to be defined;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: Administrative Line with PDRY; no defined boundary with most of UAE, Administrative Line in far north
Climate: dry desert; hot, humid along coast; hot, dry interior; strong southwest summer monsoon (May to September) in far south
Terrain: vast central desert plain, rugged mountains in north and south
Natural resources: crude oil, copper, asbestos, some marble, limestone, chromium, gypsum, natural gas
Land use: NEGL% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 5% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 95% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: summer winds often raise large sandstorms and duststorms in interior; sparse natural freshwater resources
Note: strategic location with small foothold on Musandam Peninsula controlling Strait of Hormuz (17% of world's oil production transits this point going from Persian Gulf to Arabian Sea)
- People
Population: 1,457,064 (July 1990), growth rate 3.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 43 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 12 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 105 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 56 years male, 58 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.8 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Omani(s); adjective—Omani
Ethnic divisions: almost entirely Arab, with small Balochi, Zanzibari, and
Indian groups
Religion: 75% Ibadhi Muslim; remainder Sunni Muslim, Shia Muslim, some
Hindu
Language: Arabic (official); English, Balochi, Urdu, Indian dialects
Literacy: 20%
Labor force: 430,000; 60% agriculture (est.); 58% are non-Omani
Organized labor: trade unions are illegal
- Government
Long-form name: Sultanate of Oman
Type: absolute monarchy; independent, with residual UK influence
Capital: Muscat
Administrative divisions: none
Independence: 1650, expulsion of the Portuguese
Constitution: none
Legal system: based on English common law and Islamic law; ultimate appeal to the sultan; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Executive branch: sultan, Cabinet, State Consultative Assembly
Legislative branch: none
Judicial branch: none; traditional Islamic judges and a nascent civil court system
National holiday: National Day, 18 November
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government—Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Said Al Said (since 23 July 1970)
Political parties: none
Suffrage: none
Elections: none
Other political or pressure groups: outlawed Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman (PFLO), based in South Yemen; small, clandestine Shia fundamentalist groups are active
Member of: Arab League, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB—Islamic
Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OIC, UN,
UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Awadh Bader AL-SHANFARI; Chancery at 2342 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 387-1980 through 1982; US—Ambassador Richard BOEHM; Embassy at address NA, Muscat (mailing address is P. O. Box 966, Muscat); telephone 738-231 or 738-006
Flag: three horizontal bands of white (top, double width), red, and green (double width) with a broad, vertical, red band on the hoist side; the national emblem (a khanjar dagger in its sheath superimposed on two crossed swords in scabbards) in white is centered at the top of the vertical band
- Economy Overview: Economic performance is closely tied to the fortunes of the oil industry. Petroleum accounts for nearly all export earnings, about 70% of government revenues, and more than 50% of GDP. Oman has proved oil reserves of 4 billion barrels, equivalent to about 20 years' supply at the current rate of extraction. Although agriculture employs a majority of the population, urban centers depend on imported food.
GDP: $7.8 billion, per capita $6,006; real growth rate - 3.0% (1987 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.0% (1988 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $3.1 billion; expenditures $4.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.0 billion (1989 est.)
Exports: $3.6 billion (f.o.b., 1988 est.); commodities—petroleum, reexports, processed copper, dates, nuts, fish; partners—Japan, South Korea, Thailand
Imports: $1.9 billion (f.o.b., 1988 est.); commodities —machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock, lubricants; partners—Japan, UAE, UK, FRG, US
External debt: $3.1 billion (December 1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 5.0% (1986)
Electricity: 1,130,000 kW capacity; 3,600 million kWh produced, 2,760 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: crude oil production and refining, natural gas production, construction, cement, copper
Agriculture: accounts for 3.4% of GDP and 60% of the labor force (including fishing); less than 2% of land cultivated; largely subsistence farming (dates, limes, bananas, alfalfa, vegetables, camels, cattle); not self-sufficient in food; annual fish catch averages 100,000 metric tons
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $122 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $92 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $797 million
Currency: Omani rial (plural—rials); 1 Omani rial (RO) = 1,000 baiza
Exchange rates: Omani rials (RO) per US$1—0.3845 (fixed rate since 1986)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Highways: 22,800 km total; 3,800 km bituminous surface, 19,000 km motorable track
Pipelines: crude oil 1,300 km; natural gas 1,030 km
Ports: Mina Qabus, Mina Raysut
Civil air: 4 major transport aircraft
Airports: 128 total, 119 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 6 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 63 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: fair system of open-wire, radio relay, and radio communications stations; 50,000 telephones; stations—3 AM, 3 FM, 11 TV; satellite earth stations—2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 ARABSAT and 8 domestic
- Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Royal Oman Police
Military manpower: males 15-49, 350,173; 198,149 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: 16.5% of GDP, or $1.3 billion (1990 est.)
——————————————————————————
Country: Pacific Islands, Trust Territory of the
(Palau)
- Geography
Total area: 458 km2; land area: 458 km2
Comparative area: slightly more than 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 1,519 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: wet season May to November; hot and humid
Terrain: islands vary geologically from the high mountainous main island of Babelthuap to low, coral islands usually fringed by large barrier reefs
Natural resources: forests, minerals (especially gold), marine products; deep-seabed minerals
Land use: NA% arable land; NA% permanent crops; NA% meadows and pastures;
NA% forest and woodland; NA% other
Environment: subject to typhoons from June to December; archipelago of six island groups totaling over 200 islands in the Caroline chain
Note: important location 850 km southeast of the Philippines; includes World War II battleground of Peleliu and world-famous rock islands
- People
Population: 14,310 (July 1990), growth rate 0.7% (1990)
Birth rate: 25 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 12 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 26 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 68 years male, 74 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.3 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Palauan(s); adjective—Palauan
Ethnic divisions: Palauans are a composite of Polynesian, Malayan, and Melanesian races
Religion: predominantly Christian, mainly Roman Catholic
Language: Palauan is the official language, though English is commonplace; inhabitants of the isolated southwestern islands speak a dialect of Trukese
Literacy: NA%, but education compulsory through eight grades
Labor force: NA
Organized labor: NA
- Government Long-form name: Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (no short-form name); may change to Republic of Palau after independence; note—Belau, the native form of Palau, is sometimes used
Type: UN trusteeship administered by the US; constitutional government signed a Compact of Free Association with the US on 10 January 1986, after approval in a series of UN-observed plebiscites; until the UN trusteeship is terminated with entry into force of the Compact, Palau remains under US administration as the Palau District of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands
Capital: Koror; a new capital is being built about 20 km northeast in eastern Babelthuap
Administrative divisions: none
Independence: still part of the US-administered UN trusteeship (the last polity remaining under the trusteeship; the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, and Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas have left); administered by the Office of Territorial and International Affairs, US Department of Interior
Constitution: 11 January 1981
Legal system: based on Trust Territory laws, acts of the legislature, municipal, common, and customary laws
National holiday: Constitution Day, 9 July (1979)
Executive branch: US president, US vice president, national president, national vice president
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament (Olbiil Era Kelulau or OEK) consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Delegates
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State—President George Walker BUSH (since 20 January 1989), represented by High Commissioner Janet MCCOY (since NA);
Head of Government—President Ngiratkel ETPISON (since 2 November 1988)
Political parties: no formal parties
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections:
President—last held on 2 November 1988 (next to be held November
1992); Ngiratkel Etpison 26.3%, Roman Tmetuchl 25.9%,
Thomas Remengesau 19.5%, others 28.3%;
Senate—last held 2 November 1988 (next to be held November 1992); results—percent of vote NA; seats—(18 total);
House of Delegates—last held 2 November 1988 (next to be held November 1992); results—percent of vote NA; seats—(16 total)
Diplomatic representation: none;
US—US Liaison Officer Steven R. PRUETT; US Liaison Office at Top Side,
Neeriyas, Koror (mailing address: P. O. Box 6028, Koror, Republic of Palau
96940); telephone 160-680-920 or 990
Flag: light blue with a large yellow disk (representing the moon) shifted slightly to the hoist side
- Economy Overview: The economy consists primarily of subsistence agriculture and fishing. Tourism provides some foreign exchange, although the remote location of Palau and a shortage of suitable facilities has hindered development. The government is the major employer of the work force, relying heavily on financial assistance from the US.
GDP: $31.6 million, per capita $2,260; real growth rate NA% (1986)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%
Unemployment rate: 20% (1986)
Budget: revenues $6.0 million; expenditures NA, including capital expenditures of NA (1986)
Exports: $0.5 million (f.o.b., 1986); commodities—NA; partners—US, Japan
Imports: $27.2 million (c.i.f., 1986); commodities—NA; partners—US
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 16,000 kW capacity; 22 million kWh produced, 1,550 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: tourism, craft items (shell, wood, pearl), some commercial fishing and agriculture
Agriculture: subsistence-level production of coconut, copra, cassava, sweet potatoes
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $2 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $62.6 million
Currency: US currency is used
Exchange rates: US currency is used
Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
- Communications Highways: 25.7 km paved macadam and concrete roads, otherwise stone-, coral-, or laterite-surfaced roads (1986)
Ports: Koror
Airports: 2 with permanent-surface runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: stations—1 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the US and that will not
change when the UN trusteeship terminates
——————————————————————————
Country: Pacific Ocean
- Geography
Total area: 165,384,000 km2; includes Arafura Sea, Banda Sea,
Bellingshausen Sea, Bering Sea, Bering Strait, Coral Sea, East China Sea,
Gulf of Alaska, Makassar Strait, Philippine Sea, Ross Sea, Sea of Japan,
Sea of Okhotsk, South China Sea, Tasman Sea, and other tributary water bodies
Comparative area: slightly less than 18 times the size of the US; the largest ocean (followed by the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Arctic Ocean); covers about one-third of the global surface; larger than the total land area of the world
Coastline: 135,663 km
Climate: the western Pacific is monsoonal—a rainy season occurs during the summer months, when moisture-laden winds blow from the ocean over the land, and a dry season during the winter months, when dry winds blow from the Asian land mass back to the ocean
Terrain: surface in the northern Pacific dominated by a clockwise, warm water gyre (broad, circular system of currents) and in the southern Pacific by a counterclockwise, cool water gyre; sea ice occurs in the Bering Sea and Sea of Okhotsk during winter and reaches maximum northern extent from Antarctica in October; the ocean floor in the eastern Pacific is dominated by the East Pacific Rise, while the western Pacific is dissected by deep trenches; the world's greatest depth is 10,924 meters in the Marianas Trench
Natural resources: oil and gas fields, polymetallic nodules, sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, fish
Environment: endangered marine species include the dugong, sea lion, sea otter, seals, turtles, and whales; oil pollution in Philippine Sea and South China Sea; dotted with low coral islands and rugged volcanic islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean; subject to tropical cyclones (typhoons) in southeast and east Asia from May to December (most frequent from July to October); tropical cyclones (hurricanes) may form south of Mexico and strike Central America and Mexico from June to October (most common in August and September); southern shipping lanes subject to icebergs from Antarctica; occasional El Nino phenomenon occurs off the coast of Peru when the trade winds slacken and the warm Equatorial Countercurrent moves south, which kills the plankton that is the primary food source for anchovies; consequently, the anchovies move to better feeding grounds, causing resident marine birds to starve by the thousands because of their lost food source
Note: the major choke points are the Bering Strait, Panama Canal, Luzon Strait, and the Singapore Strait; the Equator divides the Pacific Ocean into the North Pacific Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean; ships subject to superstructure icing in extreme north from October to May and in extreme south from May to October; persistent fog in the northern Pacific from June to December is a hazard to shipping; surrounded by a zone of violent volcanic and earthquake activity sometimes referred to as the Pacific Ring of Fire
- Economy Overview: The Pacific Ocean is a major contributor to the world economy and particularly to those nations its waters directly touch. It provides cheap sea transportation between East and West, extensive fishing grounds, offshore oil and gas fields, minerals, and sand and gravel for the construction industry. In 1985 over half (54%) of the world's total fish catch came from the Pacific Ocean, which is the only ocean where the fish catch has increased every year since 1978. Exploitation of offshore oil and gas reserves is playing an ever increasing role in the energy supplies of Australia, New Zealand, China, US, and Peru. The high cost of recovering offshore oil and gas, combined with the lower world prices for oil since 1985, has slowed but not stopped new drillings.
Industries: fishing, oil and gas production
- Communications
Ports: Bangkok (Thailand), Hong Kong, Los Angeles (US),
Manila (Philippines), Pusan (South Korea), San Francisco (US), Seattle (US),
Shanghai (China), Singapore, Sydney (Australia), Vladivostok (USSR),
Wellington (NZ), Yokohama (Japan)
Telecommunications: several submarine cables with network focused on Guam and Hawaii —————————————————————————— Country: Pakistan - Geography Total area: 803,940 km2; land area: 778,720 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than twice the size of California
Land boundaries: 6,774 km total; Afghanistan 2,430 km, China 523 km,
India 2,912 km, Iran 909 km
Coastline: 1,046 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: boundary with India; Pashtun question with Afghanistan; Baloch question with Afghanistan and Iran; water sharing problems with upstream riparian India over the Indus
Climate: mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north
Terrain: flat Indus plain in east; mountains in north and northwest;
Balochistan plateau in west
Natural resources: land, extensive natural gas reserves, limited crude oil, poor quality coal, iron ore, copper, salt, limestone
Land use: 26% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 6% meadows and pastures; 4% forest and woodland; 64% other; includes 19% irrigated
Environment: frequent earthquakes, occasionally severe especially in north and west; flooding along the Indus after heavy rains (July and August); deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; water logging
Note: controls Khyber Pass and Malakand Pass, traditional invasion routes between Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent
- People
Population: 114,649,406 (July 1990), growth rate 2.2% (1990)
Birth rate: 43 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 14 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 6 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 110 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 56 years male, 57 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.7 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Pakistani(s); adjective—Pakistani
Ethnic divisions: Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun (Pathan), Baloch,
Muhajir (immigrants from India and their descendents)
Religion: 97% Muslim (77% Sunni, 20% Shia), 3% Christian, Hindu, and other
Language: Urdu and English (official); total spoken languages—64% Punjabi, 12% Sindhi, 8% Pashtu, 7% Urdu, 9% Balochi and other; English is lingua franca of Pakistani elite and most government ministries, but official policies are promoting its gradual replacement by Urdu
Literacy: 26%
Labor force: 28,900,000; 54% agriculture, 13% mining and manufacturing, 33% services; extensive export of labor (1987 est.)
Organized labor: about 10% of industrial work force
- Government
Long-form name: Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Type: parliamentary with strong executive, federal republic
Capital: Islamabad
Administrative divisions: 4 provinces, 1 tribal area*, and 1 territory**;
Balochistan, Federally Administered Tribal Areas*, Islamabad
Capital Territory**, North-West Frontier, Punjab, Sindh; note—the
Pakistani-administered portion of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region
includes Azad Kashmir and the Northern Areas
Independence: 15 August 1947 (from UK; formerly West Pakistan)
Constitution: 10 April 1973, suspended 5 July 1977, restored 30 December 1985
Legal system: based on English common law with provisions to accommodate Pakistan's stature as an Islamic state; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Pakistan Day (proclamation of the republic), 23 March (1956)
Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Legislature (Mijlis-e-Shoora) consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or National Assembly
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, Federal Islamic (Shariat) Court
Leaders:
Chief of State—President GHULAM ISHAQ Khan (since 13 December 1988);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Benazir BHUTTO (since 2 December 1988)
Political parties and leaders:
Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto;
Pakistan Muslim League (PML), former Prime Minister Mohammed Khan Junejo;
PML is the main party in the anti-PPP Islamic Democratic Alliance (IDA);
Muhajir Quami Movement, Altaf Hussain; Jamiat-ul-Ulema-i-Islam
(JUI), Fazlur Rahman; Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), Qazi Hussain Ahmed;
Awami National Party (ANP), Khan Abdul Wali Khan
Suffrage: universal at age 21
Elections:
President—last held on 12 December 1988 (next to be held
December 1993); results—Ghulam Ishaq Khan was elected by the Federal
Legislature;
Senate—last held March 1988 (next to be held March 1990); results—elected by provincial assemblies; seats—(87 total) PML 84, PPP 2, independent 1;
National Assembly—last held on 16 November 1988 (next to be held November 1993); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(237 total) PPP 109, IJI 65, MQM 14, JUI 8, PAI 3, ANP 3, BNA 3, others 3, independents 29
Communists: the Communist party is no longer outlawed and operates openly
Other political or pressure groups: military remains dominant political force; ulema (clergy), industrialists, and small merchants also influential
Member of: ADB, CCC, Colombo Plan, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAC, ICAO, IDA, IDB—Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITU, IWC—International Wheat Council, NAM, OIC,
SAARC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WFTU, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Zulfikar ALI KHAN; Chancery at 2315 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 939-6200; there is a Pakistani Consulate General in New York; US—Ambassador Robert B. OAKLEY; Embassy at Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna 5, Islamabad (mailing address is P. O. Box 1048, Islamabad); telephone (51) 8261-61 through 79; there are US Consulates General in Karachi and Lahore, and a Consulate in Peshawar
Flag: green with a vertical white band on the hoist side; a large white crescent and star are centered in the green field; the crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam
- Economy Overview: Pakistan is a poor Third World country faced with the usual problems of rapidly increasing population, sizable government deficits, and heavy dependence on foreign aid. In addition, the economy must support a large military establishment and provide for the needs of 4 million Afghan refugees. A real economic growth rate averaging 5-6% in recent years has enabled the country to cope with these problems. Almost all agriculture and small-scale industry is in private hands, and the government seeks to privatize a portion of the large-scale industrial enterprises now publicly owned. In December 1988, Pakistan signed a three-year economic reform agreement with the IMF, which provides for a reduction in the government deficit and a liberalization of trade in return for further IMF financial support. The so-called Islamization of the economy has affected mainly the financial sector; for example, a prohibition on certain types of interest payments. Pakistan almost certainly will make little headway against its population problem; at the current rate of growth, population would double in 32 years.
GNP: $43.2 billion, per capita $409; real growth rate 5.1% (FY89)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 11% (FY89)
Unemployment rate: 4% (FY89 est.)
Budget: revenues $7.5 billion; expenditures $10.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.3 billion (FY89 est.)
Exports: $4.5 billion (f.o.b., FY89); commodities—rice, cotton, textiles, clothing; partners—EC 31%, US 11%, Japan 11% (FY88)
Imports: $7.2 billion (f.o.b., FY89); commodities—petroleum, petroleum products, machinery, transportation, equipment, vegetable oils, animal fats, chemicals; partners—EC 26%, Japan 15%, US 11% (FY88)
External debt: $17.4 billion (1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 3% (FY89)
Electricity: 7,575,000 kW capacity; 29,300 million kWh produced, 270 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: textiles, food processing, beverages, petroleum products, construction materials, clothing, paper products, international finance, shrimp
Agriculture: 24% of GNP, over 50% of labor force; world's largest contiguous irrigation system; major crops—cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, fruits, and vegetables; livestock products—milk, beef, mutton, eggs; self-sufficient in food grain
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of opium poppy and cannabis for the international drug trade; government eradication efforts on poppy cultivation of limited success; 1988 output of opium and hashish each estimated at about 200 metric tons
Aid: (including Bangladesh before 1972) US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $4.2 billion authorized (excluding what is now Bangladesh); Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1980-87), $7.5 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $2.3 billion; Communist countries (1970-88), $2.9 billion
Currency: Pakistani rupee (plural—rupees); 1 Pakistani rupee (PRe) = 100 paisa
Exchange rates: Pakistani rupees (PRs) per US$1—21.420 (January 1990), 20.541 (1989), 18.003 (1988), 17.399 (1987), 16.648 (1986), 15.928 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
- Communications Railroads: 8,773 km total; 7,718 km broad gauge, 445 km meter gauge, and 610 km narrow gauge; 1,037 km broad-gauge double track; 286 km electrified; all government owned (1985)
Highways: 101,315 km total (1987); 40,155 km paved, 23,000 km gravel, 29,000 km improved earth, and 9,160 km unimproved earth or sand tracks (1985)
Pipelines: 250 km crude oil; 4,044 km natural gas; 885 km refined products (1987)
Ports: Gwadar, Karachi, Port Muhammad bin Qasim
Merchant marine: 29 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 338,173 GRT/508,107 DWT; includes 4 passenger-cargo, 24 cargo, 1 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker
Civil air: 30 major transport aircraft
Airports: 115 total, 102 usable; 70 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 30 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 42 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: good international radiocommunication service over microwave and INTELSAT satellite; domestic radio communications poor; broadcast service good; 564,500 telephones (1987); stations—16 AM, 8 FM, 16; satellite eath station—1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT
- Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Air Force, Navy, Civil Armed Forces, National Guard
Military manpower: males 15-49, 26,215,898; 16,080,545 fit for military service; 1,282,294 reach military age (17) annually
Defense expenditures: 5.6% of GNP, or $2.4 billion (1989 est.) —————————————————————————— Country: Palmyra Atoll (territory of the US) - Geography Total area: 11.9 km2; land area: 11.9 km2
Comparative area: about 20 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 14.5 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: 200 m;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: equatorial, hot, and very rainy
Terrain: low, with maximum elevations of about 2 meters
Natural resources: none
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 100% forest and woodland; 0% other
Environment: about 50 islets covered with dense vegetation, coconut trees, and balsa-like trees up to 30 meters tall
Note: located 1,600 km south-southwest of Honolulu in the North Pacific
Ocean, almost halfway between Hawaii and American Samoa
- People
Population: uninhabited
- Government
Long-form name: none
Type: unincorporated territory of the US; privately owned, but administered by the Office of Territorial and International Affairs, US Department of the Interior
- Economy
Overview: no economic activity
- Communications
Ports: none; offshore anchorage in West Lagoon
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway 1,220-2,439 m
- Defense Forces
Note: defense is the responsibility of the US
——————————————————————————
Country: Panama
- Geography
Total area: 78,200 km2; land area: 75,990 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than South Carolina
Land boundaries: 555 km total; Colombia 225 km, Costa Rica 330 km
Coastline: 2,490 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 200 nm
Climate: tropical; hot, humid, cloudy; prolonged rainy season (May to January), short dry season (January to May)
Terrain: interior mostly steep, rugged mountains and dissected, upland plains; coastal areas largely plains and rolling hills
Natural resources: copper, mahogany forests, shrimp
Land use: 6% arable land; 2% permanent crops; 15% meadows and pastures; 54% forest and woodland; 23% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: dense tropical forest in east and northwest
Note: strategic location on eastern end of isthmus forming land bridge connecting North and South America; controls Panama Canal that links North Atlantic Ocean via Caribbean Sea with North Pacific Ocean
- People
Population: 2,425,400 (July 1990), growth rate 2.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 26 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: 22 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 76 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.1 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Panamanian(s); adjective—Panamanian
Ethnic divisions: 70% mestizo (mixed Indian and European ancestry), 14% West Indian, 10% white, 6% Indian
Religion: over 93% Roman Catholic, 6% Protestant
Language: Spanish (official); 14% speak English as native tongue; many
Panamanians bilingual
Literacy: 90%
Labor force: 770,472 (1987); 27.9% government and community services; 26.2% agriculture, hunting, and fishing; 16% commerce, restaurants, and hotels; 10.5% manufacturing and mining; 5.3% construction; 5.3% transportation and communications; 4.2% finance, insurance, and real estate; 2.4% Canal Zone; shortage of skilled labor, but an oversupply of unskilled labor
Organized labor: 17% of labor force (1986)
- Government
Long-form name: Republic of Panama
Type: centralized republic
Capital: Panama
Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (provincias, singular—provincia) and 1 territory* (comarca); Bocas del Toro, Chiriqui, Cocle, Colon, Darien, Herrera, Los Santos, Panama, San Blas*, Veraguas
Independence: 3 November 1903 (from Colombia; became independent from Spain 28 November 1821)
Constitution: 11 October 1972; major reforms adopted April 1983
Legal system: based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court of Justice; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Independence Day, 3 November (1903)
Executive branch: president, two vice presidents, Cabinet
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Assembly (Asamblea Legislativa)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justica) currently being reorganized
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government—President Guillermo ENDARA (since 20 December 1989, elected 7 May 1989); First Vice President Ricardo Arias CALDERON (since 20 December 1989, elected 7 May 1989); Second Vice President Guillermo FORD (since 20 December 1989, elected 7 May 1989)
Political parties and leaders:
Government alliance—Authentic Liberal Party (PLA); faction of Authentic
Panamenista Party (PPA), Guillermo Endara; Christian Democrat Party
(PDC), Ricardo Arias Calderon; Nationalist Republican Liberal Movement
(MOLIRENA), Alfredo Ramirez; former Noriegist parties—Democratic
Revolutionary Party (PRD, ex-official government party), Carlos Duque;
Labor Party (PALA), Ramon Sieiro Murgas; People's Party (PdP,
Soviet-oriented Communist party), Ruben Dario Sousa Batista; Democratic
Workers Party; National Action Party (PAN);
other opposition parties—Popular Nationalist Party (PNP), Olimpo A. Saez Maruci; factions of the former Liberal and Republican parties; Popular Action Party (PAP), Carlos Ivan Zuniga; Socialist Workers Party (PST, leftist), Jose Cambra; Revolutionary Workers Party (PRT, leftist), Graciela Dixon
Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18
Elections: President—last held on 7 May 1989, annulled but later upheld (next to be held May 1994); results—anti-Noriega coalition believed to have won about 75% of the total votes cast;
Legislative Assembly—last held on 7 May 1989, annulled but later upheld; in process of reorganization (next to be held May 1994); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(67 total) the Electoral Tribunal has confirmed 58 of the 67 seats—PDC 27, MOLIRENA 15, PLA 6, Noriegist PRD 7, PPA 3; legitimate holders of the other 9 seats cannot be determined and a special election will be held
Communists: People's Party (PdP), pro-Noriega regime mainline Communist party, did not obtain the necessary 3% of the total vote in the 1984 election to retain its legal status; about 3,000 members
Other political or pressure groups: National Council of Organized
Workers (CONATO); National Council of Private Enterprise (CONEP);
Panamanian Association of Business Executives (APEDE)
Member of: FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IFAD,
IDB—Inter-American Development Bank, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
IRC, ITU, IWC—International Whaling Commission, IWC—International Wheat
Council, NAM, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPEB, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Eduardo VALLARINO;
Chancery at 2862 McGill Terrace NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone
(202) 483-1407; the status of the Consulates General and Consulates has
not yet been determined;
US—Ambassador Deane R. HINTON; Embassy at Avenida Balboa and
Calle 38, Apartado 6959, Panama City 5 (mailing address is Box E,
APO Miami 34002); telephone 27-1777
Flag: divided into four, equal rectangles; the top quadrants are white with a blue five-pointed star in the center (hoist side) and plain red, the bottom quadrants are plain blue (hoist side) and white with a red five-pointed star in the center
- Economy Overview: The GDP contracted an estimated 7.5% in 1989, following a drop of 20% in 1988. Political instability, lack of credit, and the erosion of business confidence prompted declines of 20-70% in the financial, agricultural, commercial, manufacturing, and construction sectors between 1987 and 1989. Transits through the Panama Canal were off slightly, as were toll revenues. Unemployment remained about 23% during 1989. Imports of foodstuffs and crude oil increased during 1989, but capital goods imports continued their slide. Exports were widely promoted by Noriega trade delegations, but sales abroad remained stagnant.
GDP: $3.9 billion, per capita $1,648; real growth rate - 7.5% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): - 0.1% (1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 23% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $598 million; expenditures $750 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989 est.)
Exports: $220 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities—bananas 40%, shrimp 27%, coffee 4%, sugar, petroleum products; partners—US 90%, Central America and Caribbean, EC (1989 est.)
Imports: $830 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities—foodstuffs 16%, capital goods 9%, crude oil 16%, consumer goods, chemicals; partners—US 35%, Central America and Caribbean, EC, Mexico, Venezuela (1989 est.)
External debt: $5.2 billion (November 1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate - 4.1% (1989 est.)
Electricity: 1,113,000 kW capacity; 3,270 million kWh produced, 1,380 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: manufacturing and construction activities, petroleum refining, brewing, cement and other construction material, sugar mills, paper products
Agriculture: accounts for 10% of GDP (1989 est.), 26% of labor force (1987); crops—bananas, rice, corn, coffee, sugarcane; livestock; fishing; importer of food grain, vegetables, milk products
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $515 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $568 million; Communist countries (1970-88), $4 million
Currency: balboa (plural—balboas); 1 balboa (B) = 100 centesimos
Exchange rates: balboas (B) per US$1—1.000 (fixed rate)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 238 km total; 78 km 1.524-meter gauge, 160 km 0.914-meter gauge
Highways: 8,530 km total; 2,745 km paved, 3,270 km gravel or crushed stone, 2,515 km improved and unimproved earth
Inland waterways: 800 km navigable by shallow draft vessels; 82 km Panama
Canal
Pipelines: crude oil, 130 km
Ports: Cristobal, Balboa, Puerto de La Bahia de Las Minas
Merchant marine: 3,187 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 46,502,092 GRT/72,961,250 DWT; includes 34 passenger, 22 short-sea passenger, 3 passenger-cargo, 1,087 cargo, 179 refrigerated cargo, 186 container, 71 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 136 vehicle carrier, 7 livestock carrier, 9 multifunction large-load carrier, 315 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 184 chemical tanker, 30 combination ore/oil, 91 liquefied gas, 8 specialized tanker, 767 bulk, 58 combination bulk; note—all but 5 are foreign owned and operated; the top 4 foreign owners are Japan 41%, Greece 9%, Hong Kong 9%, and the US 7% (China owns at least 144 ships, Yugoslavia 12, Cuba 6, and Vietnam 9)
Civil air: 16 major transport aircraft
Airports: 123 total, 112 usable; 42 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 15 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: domestic and international facilities well developed; connection into Central American Microwave System; 2 Atlantic Ocean satellite antennas; 220,000 telephones; stations—91 AM, no FM, 23 TV; 1 coaxial submarine cable
- Defense Forces Branches: the Panamanian Defense Forces (PDF) ceased to exist as a military institution shortly after the United States invaded Panama on 20 December 1989; President Endara is attempting to restructure the forces, with more civilian control, under the new name of Panamanian Public Forces (PPF)
Military manpower: males 15-49, 628,327; 433,352 fit for military service; no conscription
Defense expenditures: 2.0% of GDP (1987)
——————————————————————————
Country: Papua New Guinea
- Geography
Total area: 461,690 km2; land area: 451,710 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than California
Land boundary: 820 km with Indonesia
Coastline: 5,152 km
Maritime claims: (measured from claimed archipelagic baselines);
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: tropical; northwest monsoon (December to March), southeast monsoon (May to October); slight seasonal temperature variation
Terrain: mostly mountains with coastal lowlands and rolling foothills
Natural resources: gold, copper, silver, natural gas, timber, oil potential
Land use: NEGL% arable land; 1% permanent crops; NEGL% meadows and pastures; 71% forest and woodland; 28% other
Environment: one of world's largest swamps along southwest coast; some active volcanos; frequent earthquakes
Note: shares island of New Guinea with Indonesia
- People
Population: 3,822,875 (July 1990), growth rate 2.3% (1990)
Birth rate: 34 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 11 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 68 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 54 years male, 56 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 5.0 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Papua New Guinean(s); adjective—Papua New Guinean
Ethnic divisions: predominantly Melanesian and Papuan; some Negrito,
Micronesian, and Polynesian
Religion: over half of population nominally Christian (490,000 Roman Catholic, 320,000 Lutheran, other Protestant sects); remainder indigenous beliefs
Language: 715 indigenous languages; English spoken by 1-2%, pidgin
English widespread, Motu spoken in Papua region
Literacy: 32%
Labor force: 1,660,000; 732,806 in salaried employment; 54% agriculture, 25% government, 9% industry and commerce, 8% services (1980)
Organized labor: more than 50 trade unions, some with fewer than 20 members
- Government
Long-form name: Independent State of Papua New Guinea
Type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Port Moresby
Administrative divisions: 20 provinces; Central, Chimbu,
Eastern Highlands, East New Britain, East Sepik, Enga, Gulf, Madang, Manus,
Milne Bay, Morobe, National Capital, New Ireland, Northern, North Solomons,
Sandaun, Southern Highlands, Western, Western Highlands, West New Britain
Independence: 16 September 1975 (from UN trusteeship under Australian administration)
Constitution: 16 September 1975
Legal system: based on English common law
National holiday: Independence Day, 16 September (1975)
Executive branch: British monarch, governor general, prime minister, deputy prime minister, National Executive Council (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral National Parliament (sometimes referred to as the House of Assembly)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State—Queen Elizabeth II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Vincent ERI (since 18 January 1990);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Rabbie NAMALIU (since 4 July 1988);
Deputy Prime Minister Akoko DOI (since 7 July 1988)
Political parties: Pangu Party, People's Progress Party, United Party,
Papua Besena, National Party, Melanesian Alliance
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: National Parliament—last held 13 June-4 July 1987 (next to be held 4 July 1992); results—PP 14.7%, PDM 10.8%, PPP 6.1%, MA 5.6%, NP 5.1%, PAP 3.2%, independents 42.9%, others 11.6%; seats—(109 total) PP 26, PDM 17, NP 12, MA 7, PAP 6, PPP 5, independents 22, others 14
Communists: no significant strength
Member of: ACP, ADB, ANRPC, CIPEC (associate), Commonwealth, ESCAP, FAO,
G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, ITU, SPC, SPF, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Margaret TAYLOR; Chancery at Suite 350, 1330 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036; telephone (202) 659-0856; US—Ambassador-designate William FERRAND; Embassy at Armit Street, Port Moresby (mailing address is P. O. Box 1492, Port Moresby); telephone 211-455 or 594, 654
Flag: divided diagonally from upper hoist-side corner; the upper triangle is red with a soaring yellow bird of paradise centered; the lower triangle is black with five white five-pointed stars of the Southern Cross constellation centered
- Economy Overview: Papua New Guinea is richly endowed with natural resources, but exploitation has been hampered by the rugged terrain and the high cost of developing an infrastructure. Agriculture provides a subsistence livelihood for more than half of the population. Mining of numerous deposits, including copper and gold, accounts for about 60% of export earnings. Budgetary support from Australia and development aid under World Bank auspices help sustain the economy.
GDP: $3.26 billion, per capita $890; real growth rate 1.2% (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5% (1988 est.)
Unemployment rate: 5% (1988)
Budget: revenues $962 million; expenditures $998 million, including capital expenditures of $169 million (1988)
Exports: $1.4 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities—gold, copper ore, coffee, copra, palm oil, timber, lobster; partners—FRG, Japan, Australia, UK, Spain, US
Imports: $1.2 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities—machinery and transport equipment, fuels, food, chemicals, consumer goods; partners—Australia, Singapore, Japan, US, New Zealand, UK
External debt: $2.5 billion (December 1988)
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 397,000 kW capacity; 1,510 million kWh produced, 400 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: copra crushing, oil palm processing, plywood processing, wood chip production, gold, silver, copper, construction, tourism
Agriculture: one-third of GDP; livelihood for 85% of population; fertile soils and favorable climate permits cultivating a wide variety of crops; cash crops—coffee, cocoa, coconuts, palm kernels; other products—tea, rubber, sweet potatoes, fruit, vegetables, poultry, pork; net importer of food for urban centers
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $38.8 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $5.8 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $17 million
Currency: kina (plural—kina); 1 kina (K) = 100 toea
Exchange rates: kina (K) per US$1—1.1592 (December 1989), 1.1685 (1989), 1.1538 (1988), 1.1012 (1987), 1.0296 (1986), 1.0000 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Highways: 19,200 km total; 640 km paved, 10,960 km gravel, crushed stone, or stabilized-soil surface, 7,600 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways: 10,940 km
Ports: Anewa Bay, Lae, Madang, Port Moresby, Rabaul
Merchant marine: 11 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 18,675 GRT/27,954
DWT; includes 6 cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 1 combination ore/oil, 2 bulk
Civil air: about 15 major transport aircraft
Airports: 575 total, 455 usable; 19 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 38 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: services are adequate and being improved; facilities provide radiobroadcast, radiotelephone and telegraph, coastal radio, aeronautical radio, and international radiocommunication services; submarine cables extend to Australia and Guam; 51,700 telephones (1985); stations—31 AM, 2 FM, 2 TV (1987); 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense Forces
Branches: Papua New Guinea Defense Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 952,454; 529,570 fit for military service
Defense expenditures: 1.3% of GDP, or $42 million (1989 est.)
——————————————————————————
Country: Paracel Islands
- Geography
Total area: undetermined
Comparative area: undetermined
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 518 km
Maritime claims: undetermined
Disputes: occupied by China, but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam
Climate: tropical
Terrain: undetermined
Natural resources: none
Land use: 0% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 100% other
Environment: subject to typhoons
Note: located 400 km east of Vietnam in the South China Sea about one-third of the way between Vietnam and the Philippines
- People
Population: no permanent inhabitants
- Government
Long-form name: none
- Economy
Overview: no economic activity
- Communications
Ports: none; offshore anchorage only
- Defense Forces
Note: occupied by China
——————————————————————————
Country: Paraguay
- Geography
Total area: 406,750 km2; land area: 397,300 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than California
Land boundaries: 3,920 km total; Argentina 1,880 km, Bolivia 750 km,
Brazil 1,290 km
Coastline: none—landlocked
Maritime claims: none—landlocked
Disputes: short section of the boundary with Brazil (just west of
Guaira Falls on the Rio Parana) is in dispute
Climate: varies from temperate in east to semiarid in far west
Terrain: grassy plains and wooded hills east of Rio Paraguay; Gran Chaco region west of Rio Paraguay mostly low, marshy plain near the river, and dry forest and thorny scrub elsewhere
Natural resources: iron ore, manganese, limestone, hydropower, timber
Land use: 20% arable land; 1% permanent crops; 39% meadows and pastures; 35% forest and woodland; 5% other; includes NEGL% irrigated
Environment: local flooding in southeast (early September to June); poorly drained plains may become boggy (early October to June)
Note: landlocked; buffer between Argentina and Brazil
- People
Population: 4,660,270 (July 1990), growth rate 3.0% (1990)
Birth rate: 36 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 48 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 67 years male, 72 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 4.8 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Paraguayan(s); adjective—Paraguayan
Ethnic divisions: 95% mestizo (Spanish and Indian), 5% white and Indian
Religion: 90% Roman Catholic; Mennonite and other Protestant denominations
Language: Spanish (official) and Guarani
Literacy: 81%
Labor force: 1,300,000; 44% agriculture, 34% industry and commerce, 18% services, 4% government (1986)
Organized labor: about 2% of labor force
- Government
Long-form name: Republic of Paraguay
Type: republic
Capital: Asuncion
Administrative divisions: 19 departments (departamentos,
singular—departamento); Alto Paraguay, Alto Parana, Amambay, Boqueron,
Caaguazu, Caazapa, Canendiyu, Central, Chaco, Concepcion, Cordillera,
Guaira, Itapua, Misiones, Neembucu, Nueva Asuncion, Paraguari,
Presidente Hayes, San Pedro
Independence: 14 May 1811 (from Spain)
Constitution 25 August 1967
Legal system: based on Argentine codes, Roman law, and French codes; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court of Justice; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Days, 14-15 May (1811)
Executive branch: president, Council of Ministers (cabinet),
Council of State
Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional) consists of an upper chamber or Senate and a lower chamber or Chamber of Deputies
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia)
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government—President Gen. Andres
RODRIGUEZ Pedotti (since 15 May 1989)
Political parties and leaders: Colorado Party, Juan Ramon Chaves;
Authentic Radical Liberal Party (PLRA), Domingo Laino; Christian Democratic
Party (PDC), Jorge Dario Cristaldo; Febrerista Revolutionary Party (PRF),
Euclides Acevedo; Liberal Party (PL), Reinaldo Odone; Popular Colorado
Movement (MOPOCO), Miguel Angel Gonzalez Casabianca; Radical Liberal Party
(PLR), Emilio Forestieri; Popular Democratic Movement (MDP)
Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18 and up to age 60
Elections: President—last held 1 May 1989 (next to be held February 1993); results—Gen. Rodriguez 75.8%, Domingo Laino 19.4%;
Senate—last held 1 May 1989 (next to be held by May 1993); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(36 total) Colorado Party 24, PLRA 10, PLR 1, PRF 1;
Chamber of Deputies—last held on 1 May 1989 (next to be held by May 1994); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(72 total) Colorado Party 48, PLRA 19, PRF 2, PDC 1, PL 1, PLR 1
Communists: Oscar Creydt faction and Miguel Angel Soler faction (both illegal); 3,000 to 4,000 (est.) party members and sympathizers in Paraguay, very few are hard core; party beginning to return from exile is small and deeply divided
Other political or pressure groups: Febrerista; Authentic Radical
Liberal; Christian Democratic Parties; Confederation of Workers (CUT);
Roman Catholic Church
Member of: CCC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA,
IDB—Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
IPU, IRC, ITU, LAIA, OAS, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WSG
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Marcos MARTINEZ MENDIETA; Chancery at 2400 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 483-6960 through 6962; there are Paraguayan Consulates General in New Orleans and New York, and a Consulate in Houston; US—Ambassador Timothy L. TOWELL; Embassy at 1776 Avenida Mariscal Lopez, Asuncion (mailing address is C. P. 402, Asuncion, or APO Miami 34036-0001); telephone (21) 201-041 or 049
Flag: three equal, horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue with an emblem centered in the white band; unusual flag in that the emblem is different on each side; the obverse (hoist side at the left) bears the national coat of arms (a yellow five-pointed star within a green wreath capped by the words REPUBLICA DEL PARAGUAY, all within two circles); the reverse (hoist side at the right) bears the seal of the treasury (a yellow lion below a red Cap of Liberty and the words Paz y Justica (Peace and Justice) capped by the words REPUBLICA DEL PARAGUAY, all within two circles)
- Economy Overview: The economy is predominantly agricultural. Agriculture, including forestry, accounts for about 25% of GNP, employs about 45% of the labor force, and provides the bulk of exports. Paraguay has no known significant mineral or petroleum resources, but does have a large hydropower potential. Since 1981 economic performance has declined compared with the boom period of 1976-81, when real GDP grew at an average annual rate of nearly 11%. During 1982-86 real GDP fell three out of five years, inflation jumped to an annual rate of 32%, and foreign debt rose. Factors responsible for the erratic behavior of the economy were the completion of the Itaipu hydroelectric dam, bad weather for crops, and weak international commodity prices for agricultural exports. In 1987 the economy experienced a modest recovery because of improved weather conditions and stronger international prices for key agricultural exports. The recovery continued through 1988, with a bumper soybean crop and record cotton production. The government, however, must follow through on promises of reforms needed to deal with large fiscal deficits, growing debt arrearages, and falling reserves.
GDP: $8.9 billion, per capita $1,970; real growth rate 5.2% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 30% (1989 est.)
Unemployment rate: 12% (1989 est.)
Budget: revenues $609 million; expenditures $909 million, including capital expenditures of $401 million (1988)
Exports: $1,020 million (registered f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities—cotton, soybean, timber, vegetable oils, coffee, tung oil, meat products; partners—EC 37%, Brazil 25%, Argentina 10%, Chile 6%, US 6%
Imports: $1,010 million (registered c.i.f., 1989 est.); commodities—capital goods 35%, consumer goods 20%, fuels and lubricants 19%, raw materials 16%, foodstuffs, beverages, and tobacco 10%; partners—Brazil 30%, EC 20%, US 18%, Argentina 8%, Japan 7%
External debt: $2.9 billion (1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 2% (1987)
Electricity: 5,169,000 kW capacity; 15,140 million kWh produced, 3,350 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: meat packing, oilseed crushing, milling, brewing, textiles, other light consumer goods, cement, construction
Agriculture: accounts for 25% of GDP and 50% of labor force; cash crops—cotton, sugarcane; other crops—corn, wheat, tobacco, soybeans, cassava, fruits, and vegetables; animal products—beef, pork, eggs, milk; surplus producer of timber; self-sufficient in most foods
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade with an estimated 300 hectares cultivated in 1988; important transshipment point for Bolivian cocaine headed for the US and Europe
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $168 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $994 million
Currency: guarani (plural—guaranies); 1 guarani (G) = 100 centimos
Exchange rates: guaranies (G) per US$1—1,200.20 (November 1989; floated in February 1989), 550.00 (fixed rate 1986-February 1989), 339.17 (1986), 306.67 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 970 km total; 440 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 60 km 1.000-meter gauge, 470 km various narrow gauge (privately owned)
Highways: 21,960 km total; 1,788 km paved, 474 km gravel, and 19,698 km earth
Inland waterways: 3,100 km
Ports: Asuncion
Merchant marine: 15 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 20,735 GRT/26,043 DWT; includes 13 cargo, 2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker; note—1 naval cargo ship is sometimes used commercially
Civil air: 4 major transport aircraft
Airports: 873 total, 753 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 52 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: principal center in Asuncion; fair intercity microwave net; 78,300 telephones; stations—40 AM, no FM, 5 TV, 7 shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
- Defense Forces
Branches: Paraguayan Army, Paraguayan Navy, Paraguayan Air Force
Military manpower: males 15-49, 1,096,227; 798,750 fit for military service; 49,791 reach military age (17) annually
Defense expenditures: NA
——————————————————————————
Country: Peru
- Geography
Total area: 1,285,220 km2; land area: 1,280,000 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Alaska
Land boundaries: 6,940 km total; Bolivia 900 km, Brazil 1,560 km,
Chile 160 km, Colombia 2,900 km, Ecuador 1,420 km
Coastline: 2,414 km
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea: 200 nm
Disputes: two sections of the boundary with Ecuador are in dispute
Climate: varies from tropical in east to dry desert in west
Terrain: western coastal plain (costa), high and rugged Andes in center (sierra), eastern lowland jungle of Amazon Basin (selva)
Natural resources: copper, silver, gold, petroleum, timber, fish, iron ore, coal, phosphate, potash
Land use: 3% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 21% meadows and pastures; 55% forest and woodland; 21% other; includes 1% irrigated
Environment: subject to earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, mild volcanic activity; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; air pollution in Lima
Note: shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake, with Bolivia
- People
Population: 21,905,605 (July 1990), growth rate 2.1% (1990)
Birth rate: 28 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: 67 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 62 years male, 66 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 3.6 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Peruvian(s); adjective—Peruvian
Ethnic divisions: 45% Indian; 37% mestizo (mixed Indian and European ancestry); 15% white; 3% black, Japanese, Chinese, and other
Religion: predominantly Roman Catholic
Language: Spanish and Quechua (official), Aymara
Literacy: 80% (est.)
Labor force: 6,800,000 (1986); 44% government and other services, 37% agriculture, 19% industry (1988 est.)
Organized labor: about 40% of salaried workers (1983 est.)
- Government
Long-form name: Republic of Peru
Type: republic
Capital: Lima
Administrative divisions: 24 departments (departamentos, singular—departamento) and 1 constitutional province* (provincia constitucional); Amazonas, Ancash, Apurimac, Arequipa, Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Callao*, Cusco, Huancavelica, Huanuco, Ica, Junin, La Libertad, Lambayeque, Lima, Loreto, Madre de Dios, Moquegua, Pasco, Piura, Puno, San Martin, Tacna, Tumbes, Ucayali
Independence: 28 July 1821 (from Spain)
Constitution: 28 July 1980 (often referred to as the 1979 Constitution because constituent assembly met in 1979, but Constitution actually took effect the following year); reestablished civilian government with a popularly elected president and bicameral legislature
Legal system: based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday: Independence Day, 28 July (1821)
Executive branch: president, two vice presidents, prime minister,
Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: bicameral Congress (Congreso) consists of an upper chamber or Senate (Senado) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia)
Leaders:
Chief of State—President-elect Alberto FUJIMORI (since 10 June
1990; Vice President-elect Maximo San ROMAN (since 10 June 1990);
Vice President-elect Carlos GARCIA;
President Alan GARCIA Perez (since 28 July 1985);
First Vice President Luis Alberto SANCHEZ Sanchez (since 28 July 1985);
Second Vice President Luis Juan ALVA Castro (since 28 July 1985);
Head of Government—Prime Minister Guillermo LARCO Cox (since 3 October 1989)
Political parties and leaders: American Popular Revolutionary Alliance
(APRA), Alan Garcia Perez; United Left (IU), run by committee;
Democratic Front (FREDEMO), headed by Mario Vargas Llosa of the Liberty
Movement (ML), coalition also includes the Popular Christian Party (PPC),
Luis Bedoya Reyes and the Popular Action Party (AP), Fernando
Belaunde Terry; Socialist Left (ISO), Alfonso Barrantes Lingan
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections: President—last held on 10 June 1990 (next to be held April 1995); results—Alberto Fujimori xx%, Mario Vargas Llosa xx%, others xx%;
Senate—last held on 8 April 1990 (next to be held April 1995); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(60 total) APRA 32, IU 15, AP 5, others 8;
Chamber of Deputies—last held 8 April 1990 (next to be held April 1995); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(180 total) APRA 107, IU 48, AP 10, others 15
Communists: Peruvian Communist Party-Unity (PCP-U), pro-Soviet, 2,000; other minor Communist parties
Other political or pressure groups: NA
Member of: Andean Pact, AIOEC, ASSIMER, CCC, CIPEC, FAO, G-77, GATT,
Group of Eight, IADB, IAEA, IATP, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB—Inter-American
Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, ILZSG, INTERPOL, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, ISO, ITU,
IWC—International Wheat Council, LAIA, NAM, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU,
WFTU, WHO, WMO, WSG, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Cesar G. ATALA; Chancery at 1700 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036; telephone (202) 833-9860 through 9869); Peruvian Consulates General are located in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Paterson (New Jersey), San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico); US—Ambassador Anthony QUAINTON; Embassy at the corner of Avenida Inca Garcilaso de la Vega and Avenida Espana, Lima (mailing address is P. O. Box 1995, Lima 1010, or APO Miami 34031); telephone (14) 338-000
Flag: three equal, vertical bands of red (hoist side), white, and red with the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms features a shield bearing a llama, cinchona tree (the source of quinine), and a yellow cornucopia spilling out gold coins, all framed by a green wreath
- Economy Overview: The economy is verging on hyperinflation and economic activity is contracting rapidly. Deficit spending is at the root of domestic economic problems, but poor relations with international lenders—the result of curtailing debt payments since 1985—are preventing an inflow of funds to generate a recovery. Reduced standards of living have increased labor tensions, and strikes, particularly in the key mining sector, have cut production and exports. Foreign exchange shortages have forced reductions in vital consumer imports such as food and industrial inputs. Peru is the world's leading producer of coca, from which the drug cocaine is produced.
GDP: $18.9 billion, per capita $880; real growth rate - 12.2% (1989 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2,775% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 15.0%; underemployment estimated at 60% (1989)
Budget: revenues $3.2 billion; expenditures $3.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $796 million (1986)
Exports: $3.55 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities—fishmeal, cotton, sugar, coffee, copper, iron ore, refined silver, lead, zinc, crude petroleum and byproducts; partners—EC 22%, US 20%, Japan 11%, Latin America 8%, USSR 4%
Imports: $2.50 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities—foodstuffs, machinery, transport equipment, iron and steel semimanufactures, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; partners—US 23%, Latin America 16%, EC 12%, Japan 7%, Switzerland 3%
External debt: $17.7 billion (December 1989)
Industrial production: growth rate - 25.0% (1988 est.)
Electricity: 4,867,000 kW capacity; 15,540 million kWh produced, 725 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: mining of metals, petroleum, fishing, textiles, clothing, food processing, cement, auto assembly, steel, shipbuilding, metal fabrication
Agriculture: accounts for 12% of GDP, 37% of labor force; commercial crops—coffee, cotton, sugarcane; other crops—rice, wheat, potatoes, plantains, coca; animal products—poultry, red meats, dairy, wool; not self-sufficient in grain or vegetable oil; fish catch of 4.6 million metric tons (1987), world's fifth-largest
Illicit drugs: world's largest coca producer and source of supply for coca paste and cocaine base; about 85% of cultivation is for illicit production; most of coca base is shipped to Colombian drug dealers for processing into cocaine for the international drug market
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $1.6 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $3.7 billion; Communist countries (1970-88), $577 million
Currency: inti (plural—intis); 1 inti (I/) = 1,000 soles
Exchange rates: intis (I/) per US$1—5,261.40 (December 1989), 128.83 (1988), 16.84 (1987), 13.95 (1986), 10.97 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications Railroads: 1,876 km total; 1,576 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 300 km 0.914-meter gauge
Highways: 56,645 km total; 6,030 km paved, 11,865 km gravel, 14,610 km improved earth, 24,140 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways: 8,600 km of navigable tributaries of Amazon system and 208 km Lago Titicaca
Pipelines: crude oil, 800 km; natural gas and natural gas liquids, 64 km
Ports: Callao, Ilo, Iquitos, Matarani, Talara
Merchant marine: 32 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 341,213 GRT/535,215 DWT; includes 18 cargo, 1 refrigerated cargo, 1 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 3 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 8 bulk; note—in addition, 7 naval tankers and 1 naval cargo are sometimes used commercially
Civil air: 27 major transport aircraft
Airports: 242 total, 226 usable; 35 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 24 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 39 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: fairly adequate for most requirements; nationwide radio relay system; 544,000 telephones; stations—273 AM, no FM, 140 TV, 144 shortwave; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations, 12 domestic antennas
- Defense Forces
Branches: Peruvian Army (Ejercito Peruano), Peruvian Navy (Marina de
Guerra del Peru), Peruvian Air Force (Fuerza Aerea del Peru)
Military manpower: males 15-49, 5,543,166; 3,751,077 fit for military service; 236,814 reach military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures: 4.9% of GNP (1987)
——————————————————————————
Country: Philippines
- Geography
Total area: 300,000 km2; land area: 298,170 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than Arizona
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 36,289 km
Maritime claims: (measured from claimed archipelagic baselines);
Continental shelf: to depth of exploitation;
Extended economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: irregular polygon extending up to 100 nm from coastline as defined by 1898 treaty; since late 1970s has also claimed polygonal-shaped area in South China Sea up to 285 nm in breadth
Disputes: involved in a complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with
China, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam; claims Malaysian state of Sabah
Climate: tropical marine; northeast monsoon (November to April); southwest monsoon (May to October)
Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow to extensive coastal lowlands
Natural resources: timber, crude oil, nickel, cobalt, silver, gold, salt, copper
Land use: 26% arable land; 11% permanent crops; 4% meadows and pastures; 40% forest and woodland; 19% other; includes 5% irrigated
Environment: astride typhoon belt, usually affected by 15 and struck by five to six cyclonic storms per year; subject to landslides, active volcanoes, destructive earthquakes, tsunami; deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
- People
Population: 66,117,284 (July 1990), growth rate 2.5% (1990)
Birth rate: 32 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 1 migrant/1,000 population (1990)
Infant mortality rate: 48 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 63 years male, 69 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 4.3 children born/woman (1990)
Nationality: noun—Filipino(s); adjective—Philippine
Ethnic divisions: 91.5% Christian Malay, 4% Muslim Malay, 1.5% Chinese, 3% other
Religion: 83% Roman Catholic, 9% Protestant, 5% Muslim, 3% Buddhist and other
Language: Pilipino (based on Tagalog) and English; both official
Literacy: 88% (est.)
Labor force: 22,889,000; 47% agriculture, 20% industry and commerce, 13.5% services, 10% government, 9.5% other (1987)
Organized labor: 2,064 registered unions; total membership 4.8 million (includes 2.7 million members of the National Congress of Farmers Organizations)
- Government
Long-form name: Republic of the Philippines
Type: republic
Capital: Manila
Administrative divisions: 73 provinces and 61 chartered cities*; Abra,
Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Aklan, Albay, Angeles*, Antique, Aurora,
Bacolod*, Bago*, Baguio*, Bais*, Basilan, Basilan City*, Bataan, Batanes,
Batangas, Batangas City*, Benguet, Bohol, Bukidnon, Bulacan, Butuan*,
Cabanatuan*, Cadiz*, Cagayan, Cagayan de Oro*, Calbayog*, Caloocan*,
Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Camiguin, Canlaon*, Capiz, Catanduanes, Cavite,
Cavite City*, Cebu, Cebu City*, Cotabato*, Dagupan*, Danao*, Dapitan*,
Davao City* Davao, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Dipolog*, Dumaguete*,
Eastern Samar, General Santos*, Gingoog*, Ifugao, Iligan*, Ilocos Norte,
Ilocos Sur, Iloilo, Iloilo City*, Iriga*, Isabela, Kalinga-Apayao, La Carlota*,
Laguna, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Laoag*, Lapu-Lapu*, La Union, Legaspi*,
Leyte, Lipa*, Lucena*, Maguindanao, Mandaue*, Manila*, Marawi*, Marinduque,
Masbate, Mindoro Occidental, Mindoro Oriental, Misamis Occidental,
Misamis Oriental, Mountain, Naga*, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental,
North Cotabato, Northern Samar, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Olongapo*, Ormoc*,
Oroquieta*, Ozamis*, Pagadian*, Palawan, Palayan*, Pampanga, Pangasinan,
Pasay*, Puerto Princesa*, Quezon, Quezon City*, Quirino, Rizal, Romblon, Roxas*,
Samar, San Carlos* (in Negros Occidental), San Carlos* (in Pangasinan),
San Jose*, San Pablo*, Silay*, Siquijor, Sorsogon, South Cotabato,
Southern Leyte, Sultan Kudarat, Sulu, Surigao*, Surigao del Norte,
Surigao del Sur, Tacloban*, Tagaytay*, Tagbilaran*, Tangub*, Tarlac, Tawitawi,
Toledo*, Trece Martires*, Zambales, Zamboanga*, Zamboanga del Norte,
Zamboanga del Sur
Independence: 4 July 1946 (from US)
Constitution: 2 February 1987, effective 11 February 1987
Legal system: based on Spanish and Anglo-American law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Independence Day (from Spain), 12 June (1898)
Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral Congress consists of an upper house or
Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders: Chief of State and Head of Government—President Corazon C. AQUINO (since 25 February 1986); Vice President Salvador H. LAUREL (since 25 February 1986)
Political parties and leaders: PDP-Laban, Aquilino Pimentel; Struggle of
Philippine Democrats (LDP), Neptali Gonzales; Nationalista Party, Salvador
Laurel, Juan Ponce Enrile; Liberal Party, Jovito Salonga
Suffrage: universal at age 15
Elections:
President—last held 7 February 1986 (next election to be
held May 1992); results—Corazon C. Aquino elected after the fall of the
Marcos regime;
Senate—last held 11 May 1987 (next to be held May 1993); results—Pro-Aquino LDP 63%, Liberals LDP and PDP-Laban (Pimentel wing) 25%, Opposition Nationalista Party 4%, independents 8%; seats—(24 total) Pro-Aquino LDP 15, Liberals LDP-Laban (Pimentel wing) 6, Opposition 1, independents 2;
House of Representatives—last held on 11 May 1987 (next to be held May 1992); results—Pro-Aquino LDP 73%, Liberals LDP and PDP-Laban (Pimentel wing) 10%, Opposition Nationalista Party 17%; seats—(250 total, 180 elected) number of seats by party NA
Communists: the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) controls about 18,000-23,000 full-time insurgents and is not recognized as a legal party; a second Communist party, the pro-Soviet Philippine Communist Party (PKP), has quasi-legal status
Member of: ADB, ASEAN, ASPAC, CCC, Colombo Plan, ESCAP, FAO, G-77,
GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
IPU, IRC, ISO, ITU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Emmanuel PELAEZ; Chancery at 1617 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036; telephone (202) 483-1414; there are Philippine Consulates General in Agana (Guam), Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle; US—Ambassador Nicholas PLATT; Embassy at 1201 Roxas Boulevard, Manila (mailing address is APO San Francisco 96528); telephone (2) 521-7116; there is a US Consulate in Cebu
Flag: two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a white equilateral triangle based on the hoist side; in the center of the triangle is a yellow sun with eight primary rays (each containing three individual rays) and in each corner of the triangle is a small yellow five-pointed star
- Economy Overview: The economy continues to recover from the political turmoil following the ouster of former President Marcos and several coup attempts. After two consecutive years of economic contraction (1984 and 1985), the economy has since 1986 had positive growth. The agricultural sector, together with forestry and fishing, plays an important role in the economy, employing about 50% of the work force and providing almost 30% of GDP. The Philippines is the world's largest exporter of coconuts and coconut products. Manufacturing contributed about 25% of GDP. Major industries include food processing, chemicals, and textiles.
GNP: $40.5 billion, per capita $625; real growth rate 5.2% (1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10.6% (1989)
Unemployment rate: 8.7% (1989)
Budget: $7.2 billion; expenditures $8.12 billion, including capital expenditures of $0.97 billion (1989 est.)
Exports: revenues $8.1 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities—electrical equipment 19%, textiles 16%, minerals and ores 11%, farm products 10%, coconut 10%, chemicals 5%, fish 5%, forest products 4%; partners—US 36%, EC 19%, Japan 18%, ESCAP 9%, ASEAN 7%
Imports: $10.5 billion (c.i.f., 1989); commodities—raw materials 53%, capital goods 17%, petroleum products 17%; partners—US 25%, Japan 17%, ESCAP 13%, EC 11%, ASEAN 10%, Middle East 10%
External debt: $27.8 billion (1988)
Industrial production: growth rate 7.3% (1989)
Electricity: 6,700,000 kW capacity; 25,000 million kWh produced, 385 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: textiles, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, wood products, food processing, electronics assembly, petroleum refining, fishing
Agriculture: accounts for about one-third of GNP and 50% of labor force; major crops—rice, coconut, corn, sugarcane, bananas, pineapple, mango; animal products—pork, eggs, beef; net exporter of farm products; fish catch of 2 million metric tons annually
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; growers are producing more and better quality cannabis despite government eradication efforts
Aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $3.2 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $6.4 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $5 million; Communist countries (1975-88), $123 million
Currency: Philippine peso (plural—pesos); 1 Philippine peso (P) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: Philippine pesos (P) per US$1—22.464 (January 1990), 21.737 (1989), 21.095 (1988), 20.568 (1987), 20.386 (1986), 18.607 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
- Communications
Railroads: 378 km operable on Luzon, 34% government owned (1982)
Highways: 156,000 km total (1984); 29,000 km paved; 77,000 km gravel, crushed-stone, or stabilized-soil surface; 50,000 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways: 3,219 km; limited to shallow-draft (less than 1.5 m) vessels
Pipelines: refined products, 357 km
Ports: Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Guimaras, Iloilo, Legaspi, Manila,
Subic Bay
Merchant marine: 595 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 9,134,924 GRT/15,171,692 DWT; includes 1 passenger, 10 short-sea passenger, 16 passenger-cargo, 166 cargo, 17 refrigerated cargo, 30 vehicle carrier, 8 livestock carrier, 7 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 6 container, 36 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 6 liquefied gas, 3 combination ore/oil, 282 bulk, 5 combination bulk; note—many Philippine flag ships are foreign owned and are on the register for the purpose of long-term bare-boat charter back to their original owners who are principally in Japan and FRG
Civil air: 53 major transport aircraft
Airports: 301 total, 237 usable; 70 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 9 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 49 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: good international radio and submarine cable services; domestic and interisland service adequate; 872,900 telephones; stations—267 AM (including 6 US), 55 FM, 33 TV (including 4 US); submarine cables extended to Hong Kong, Guam, Singapore, Taiwan, and Japan; satellite earth stations—1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT, and 11 domestic
- Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Constabulary—Integrated
National Police
Military manpower: males 15-49, 16,160,543; 11,417,451 fit for military service; 684,976 reach military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures: 2.1% of GNP, or $850 million (1990 est.) —————————————————————————— Country: Pitcairn Islands (dependent territory of the UK) - Geography Total area: 47 km2; land area: 47 km2
Comparative area: about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 51 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate: tropical, hot, humid, modified by southeast trade winds; rainy season (November to March)
Terrain: rugged volcanic formation; rocky coastline with cliffs
Natural resources: miro trees (used for handicrafts), fish
Land use: NA% arable land; NA% permanent crops; NA% meadows and pastures; NA% forest and woodland; NA% other
Environment: subject to typhoons (especially November to March)
Note: located in the South Pacific Ocean about halfway between
Peru and New Zealand
- People
Population: 56 (July 1990), growth rate 0.0% (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—Pitcairn Islander(s); adjective—Pitcairn Islander
Ethnic divisions: descendants of Bounty mutineers
Religion: 100% Seventh-Day Adventist
Language: English (official); also a Tahitian/English dialect
Literacy: NA%, but probably high
Labor force: NA; no business community in the usual sense; some public works; subsistence farming and fishing
Organized labor: NA
- Government
Long-form name: Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno Islands
Type: dependent territory of the UK
Capital: Adamstown
Administrative divisions: none (dependent territory of the UK)
Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK)
Constitution: Local Government Ordinance of 1964
Legal system: local island by-laws
National holiday: Celebration of the Birthday of the Queen (second
Saturday in June), 10 June 1989
Executive branch: British monarch, governor, island magistrate
Legislative branch: unicameral Island Council
Judicial branch: Island Court
Leaders:
Chief of State—Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by the Governor and UK High Commissioner to New Zealand
Robin A. C. BYATT (since NA 1988);
Head of Government—Island Magistrate and Chairman of the Island
Council Brian YOUNG (since NA 1985)
Political parties and leaders: NA
Suffrage: universal at age 18 with three years residency
Elections: Island Council—last held NA (next to be held NA); results—percent of vote by party NA; seats—(11 total, 5 elected) number of seats by party NA
Communists: none
Other political or pressure groups: NA
Diplomatic representation: none (dependent territory of the UK)
Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Pitcairn Islander coat of arms centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms is yellow, green, and light blue with a shield featuring a yellow anchor
- Economy Overview: The inhabitants exist on fishing and subsistence farming. The fertile soil of the valleys produces a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, including citrus, sugarcane, watermelons, bananas, yams, and beans. Bartering is an important part of the economy. The major sources of revenue are the sale of postage stamps to collectors and the sale of handicrafts to passing ships.