FAX: (44) 244-7350

FAX: (202) 333-0817

consulate(s) general: Chicago and New York

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Carlos PASCUAL

embassy: 10 Yuria Kotsubynskoho, 254053 Kiev 53

mailing address: use embassy street address

telephone: (44) 490-4000

Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of azure (top) and golden yellow represent grainfields under a blue sky

Ukraine Economy

Economy - overview: After Russia, the Ukrainian republic was far and away the most important economic component of the former Soviet Union, producing about four times the output of the next-ranking republic. Its fertile black soil generated more than one-fourth of Soviet agricultural output, and its farms provided substantial quantities of meat, milk, grain, and vegetables to other republics. Likewise, its diversified heavy industry supplied the unique equipment (for example, large diameter pipes) and raw materials to industrial and mining sites (vertical drilling apparatus) in other regions of the former USSR. Ukraine depends on imports of energy, especially natural gas, to meet some 85% of its annual energy requirements. Shortly after independence in late 1991, the Ukrainian Government liberalized most prices and erected a legal framework for privatization, but widespread resistance to reform within the government and the legislature soon stalled reform efforts and led to some backtracking. Output in 1992-99 fell to less than 40% the 1991 level. Loose monetary policies pushed inflation to hyperinflationary levels in late 1993. Ukraine's dependence on Russia for energy supplies and the lack of significant structural reform have made the Ukrainian economy vulnerable to external shocks. Now in his second term, President KUCHMA has pledged to reduce the number of government agencies and streamline the regulation process, create a legal environment to encourage entrepreneurs and protect ownership rights, and enact a comprehensive tax overhaul. Reforms in the more politically sensitive areas of structural reform and land privatization are still lagging. Outside institutions - particularly the IMF - have encouraged Ukraine to quicken the pace and scope of reforms and have threatened to withdraw financial support. GDP in 2000 showed strong export-based growth of 6% - the first growth since independence - and industrial production grew 12.9%. As the capacity for further export-based economic expansion diminishes, GDP growth in 2001 is likely to decline to around 3%.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $189.4 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 6% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,850 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 12%

industry: 26%

services: 62% (1998 est.)

Population below poverty line: 50% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.9%

highest 10%: 26.4% (1996)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 25.8% (2000 est.)

Labor force: 22.8 million (yearend 1997)

Labor force - by occupation: industry 32%, agriculture 24%, services 44% (1996)

Unemployment rate: 4.3% officially registered; large number of unregistered or underemployed workers (December 1999)

Budget: revenues: $8.3 billion

expenditures: $8.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)

Industries: coal, electric power, ferrous and nonferrous metals, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food processing (especially sugar)

Industrial production growth rate: 12.9% (2000 est.)

Electricity - production: 157.823 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 47.67%

hydro: 9.65%

nuclear: 42.67%

other: 0.01% (1999)

Electricity - consumption: 146.675 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: 2.3 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: 2.2 billion kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products: grain, sugar beets, sunflower seeds, vegetables; beef, milk

Exports: $14.6 billion (2000 est.)

Exports - commodities: ferrous and nonferrous metals, fuel and petroleum products, machinery and transport equipment, food products

Exports - partners: Russia 24%, Europe 30%, US 5% (2000 est.)

Imports: $15 billion (2000 est.)

Imports - commodities: energy, machinery and parts, transportation equipment, chemicals

Imports - partners: Russia 42%, Europe 29%, US 3% (2000 est.)

Debt - external: $10.3 billion (2000)

Economic aid - recipient: $637.7 million (1995); IMF Extended Funds
Facility $2.2 billion (1998)

Currency: hryvnia (UAH)

Currency code: UAH

Exchange rates: hryvnia per US dollar - 5.4331 (January 2001), 5.4402 (2000), 4.1304 (1999), 2.4495 (1998), 1.8617 (1997), 1.8295 (1996)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Ukraine Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 9.45 million (April 1999)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 236,000 (1998)

Telephone system: general assessment: Ukraine's telecommunication development plan, running through 2005, emphasizes improving domestic trunk lines, international connections, and the mobile cellular system

domestic: at independence in December 1991, Ukraine inherited a telephone system that was antiquated, inefficient, and in disrepair; more than 3.5 million applications for telephones could not be satisfied; telephone density is now rising slowly and the domestic trunk system is being improved; the mobile cellular telephone system is expanding at a high rate

international: two new domestic trunk lines are a part of the fiber-optic Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) system and three Ukrainian links have been installed in the fiber-optic Trans-European Lines (TEL) project which connects 18 countries; additional international service is provided by the Italy-Turkey-Ukraine-Russia (ITUR) fiber-optic submarine cable and by earth stations in the Intelsat, Inmarsat, and Intersputnik satellite systems

Radio broadcast stations: AM 134, FM 289, shortwave 4 (1998)

Radios: 45.05 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: at least 33 (plus 21 repeaters that relay broadcasts from Russia) (1997)

Televisions: 18.05 million (1997)

Internet country code: .ua

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 32 (2000)

Internet users: 200,000 (2000)

Ukraine Transportation

Railways: total: 23,350 km

broad gauge: 23,350 km 1.524-m gauge (8,600 km electrified)

Highways: total: 273,700 km

paved: 236,400 km (including 1,770 km of expressways); note - (these roads are said to be hard-surfaced, and include, in addition to conventionally paved roads, some that are surfaced with gravel or other coarse aggregate, making them trafficable in all weather)

unpaved: 37,300 km (these roads are made of unstabilized earth and are difficult to negotiate in wet weather) (1990)

Waterways: 4,499 km

note: (1,672 km are on the Pryp'yat' and Dnistr) (1990)

Pipelines: crude oil 4,000 km (1995); petroleum products 4,500 km (1995); natural gas 34,400 km (1998)

Ports and harbors: Berdyans'k, Illichivs'k, Izmayil, Kerch, Kherson,
Kiev (Kyyiv), Mariupol', Mykolayiv, Odesa, Reni, Sevastopol'

Merchant marine: total: 156 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 757,582 GRT/841,755 DWT

ships by type: bulk 8, cargo 110, container 3, liquefied gas 2, passenger 11, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 14, railcar carrier 2, roll on/roll off 2, short-sea passenger 2 (2000 est.)

Airports: 718 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 114

over 3,047 m: 14

2,438 to 3,047 m: 50

1,524 to 2,437 m: 21

914 to 1,523 m: 3

under 914 m: 26 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 604

over 3,047 m: 13

2,438 to 3,047 m: 37

1,524 to 2,437 m: 52

914 to 1,523 m: 45

under 914 m: 457 (2000 est.)

Ukraine Military

Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force,
Internal Troops, Border Troops

Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age

Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 12,285,623 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 9,630,184 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 390,823 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $500 million (FY99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.4% (FY99)

Ukraine Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: has made no territorial claim in Antarctica (but has reserved the right to do so) and does not recognize the claims of any other nation

Illicit drugs: limited cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for CIS consumption; some synthetic drug production for export to West; limited government eradication program; used as transshipment point for opiates and other illicit drugs from Africa, Latin America, and Turkey, and to Europe and Russia; drug-related money laundering a minor, but growing, problem

@United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates Introduction

Background: The Trucial States of the Persian Gulf coast granted the UK control of their defense and foreign affairs in 19th century treaties. In 1971, six of these states - Abu Zaby, 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah, Dubayy, and Umm al Qaywayn - merged to form the UAE. They were joined in 1972 by Ra's al Khaymah. The UAE's per capita GDP is not far below those of the leading West European nations. Its generosity with oil revenues and its moderate foreign policy stance have allowed it to play a vital role in the affairs of the region.

United Arab Emirates Geography

Location: Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian
Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia

Geographic coordinates: 24 00 N, 54 00 E

Map references: Middle East

Area: total: 82,880 sq km

land: 82,880 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Maine

Land boundaries: total: 867 km

border countries: Oman 410 km, Saudi Arabia 457 km

Coastline: 1,318 km

Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 NM

continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate: desert; cooler in eastern mountains

Terrain: flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert wasteland; mountains in east

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m

highest point: Jabal Yibir 1,527 m

Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas

Land use: arable land: 0%

permanent crops: 0%

permanent pastures: 2%

forests and woodland: 0%

other: 98% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 50 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: frequent sand and dust storms

Environment - current issues: lack of natural freshwater resources being overcome by desalination plants; desertification; beach pollution from oil spills

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous
Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection

signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geography - note: strategic location along southern approaches to
Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil

United Arab Emirates People

Population: 2,407,460

note: includes 1,576,472 non-nationals (July 2001 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 28.86% (male 354,298; female 340,498)

15-64 years: 68.74% (male 1,047,839; female 607,020)

65 years and over: 2.4% (male 40,626; female 17,179) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.59% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 18.11 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 3.79 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: 1.61 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.73 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 2.36 male(s)/female

total population: 1.5 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 16.68 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 74.29 years

male: 71.84 years

female: 76.86 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.23 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.18% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

Nationality: noun: Emirati(s)

adjective: Emirati

Ethnic groups: Emirati 19%, other Arab and Iranian 23%, South Asian 50%, other expatriates (includes Westerners and East Asians) 8% (1982)

note: less than 20% are UAE citizens (1982)

Religions: Muslim 96% (Shi'a 16%), Christian, Hindu, and other 4%

Languages: Arabic (official), Persian, English, Hindi, Urdu

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 79.2%

male: 78.9%

female: 79.8% (1995 est.)

United Arab Emirates Government

Country name: conventional long form: United Arab Emirates

conventional short form: none

local long form: Al Imarat al Arabiyah al Muttahidah

local short form: none

former: Trucial Oman, Trucial States

abbreviation: UAE

Government type: federation with specified powers delegated to the
UAE federal government and other powers reserved to member emirates

Capital: Abu Dhabi

Administrative divisions: 7 emirates (imarat, singular - imarah);
Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi), 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah (Sharjah),
Dubayy (Dubai), Ra's al Khaymah, Umm al Qaywayn

Independence: 2 December 1971 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 2 December (1971)

Constitution: 2 December 1971 (made permanent in 1996)

Legal system: federal court system introduced in 1971; all emirates except Dubayy (Dubai) and Ra's al Khaymah have joined the federal system; all emirates have secular and Islamic law for civil, criminal, and high courts

Suffrage: none

Executive branch: chief of state: President ZAYID bin Sultan Al Nuhayyan (since 2 December 1971), ruler of Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) (since 6 August 1966) and Vice President MAKTUM bin Rashid al-Maktum (since 8 October 1990), ruler of Dubayy (Dubai)

head of government: Prime Minister MAKTUM bin Rashid al-Maktum (since 8 October 1990), ruler of Dubayy (Dubai); Deputy Prime Minister SULTAN bin Zayid Al Nuhayyan (since 20 November 1990)

cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president

note: there is also a Federal Supreme Council (FSC) which is composed of the seven emirate rulers; the council is the highest constitutional authority in the UAE; establishes general policies and sanctions federal legislation, Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) and Dubayy (Dubai) rulers have effective veto power; meets four times a year

elections: president and vice president elected by the FSC (a group of seven electors) for five-year terms; election last held NA October 1996 (next to be held NA October 2001); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president

election results: ZAYID bin Sultan Al Nuhayyan reelected president; percent of FSC vote - NA, but believed to be unanimous; MAKTUM bin Rashid al-Maktum elected vice president; percent of FSC vote - NA%, but believed to be unanimous

Legislative branch: unicameral Federal National Council or Majlis al-Ittihad al-Watani (40 seats; members appointed by the rulers of the constituent states to serve two-year terms)

elections: none

note: reviews legislation, but cannot change or veto

Judicial branch: Union Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president)

Political parties and leaders: none

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF,
CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol,
IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Asri Said Ahmad al-DHAHIRI

chancery: Suite 700, 1255 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20037

telephone: (202) 955-7999

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Theodore H. KATTOUF

embassy: Al-Sudan Street, Abu Dhabi

mailing address: P. O. Box 4009, Abu Dhabi; American Embassy Abu Dhabi, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-6010 (pouch); note - work week is Saturday through Wednesday

telephone: (2) 4436691