← The 2003 CIA World Factbook, Volume 1
Z (part 14)
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament (52 seats; members elected by popular vote to
serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 2 May 2002 (next to be held NA 2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
UMP 15, VP 14, VRP 3, MPP 2, other and independent 18; note -
political party associations are fluid
note: the National Council of Chiefs advises on matters of custom
and land
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (chief justice is appointed by the president after
consultation with the prime minister and the leader of the
opposition, three other justices are appointed by the president on
the advice of the Judicial Service Commission)
Political parties and leaders:
Jon Frum Movement [Song KEASPAI]; Melanesian Progressive Party or
MPP [Barak SOPE]; National United Party or NUP [Dinh Van THAN];
Union of Moderate Parties or UMP [Serge VOHOR]; Vanuaaku Party (Our
Land Party) or VP [Edward NATAPEI]; Vanuatu Republican Party or VRP
[Maxime Carlot KORMAN]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
ACCT, ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, NAM, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIBH, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTrO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Vanuatu does not have an embassy in the US; it does, however, have
a Permanent Mission to the UN
Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Vanuatu; the ambassador to Papua
New Guinea is accredited to Vanuatu
Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a black
isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) all separated by a
black-edged yellow stripe in the shape of a horizontal Y (the two
points of the Y face the hoist side and enclose the triangle);
centered in the triangle is a boar's tusk encircling two crossed
namele leaves, all in yellow
Economy Vanuatu
Economy - overview:
The economy is based primarily on subsistence or small-scale
agriculture, which provides a living for 65% of the population.
Fishing, offshore financial services, and tourism, with about 50,000
visitors in 1997, are other mainstays of the economy. Mineral
deposits are negligible; the country has no known petroleum
deposits. A small light industry sector caters to the local market.
Tax revenues come mainly from import duties. Economic development is
hindered by dependence on relatively few commodity exports,
vulnerability to natural disasters, and long distances from main
markets and between constituent islands. A severe earthquake in
November 1999 followed by a tsunami, caused extensive damage to the
northern island of Pentecote and left thousands homeless. Another
powerful earthquake in January 2002 caused extensive damage in the
capital, Port-Vila, and surrounding areas, and also was followed by
a tsunami. GDP growth rose less than 3% on average in the 1990s. In
response to foreign concerns, the government has promised to tighten
regulation of its offshore financial center. In mid-2002 the
government stepped up efforts to boost tourism. Australia and New
Zealand are the main suppliers of foreign aid.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $563 million (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-0.3% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $2,900 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 26%
industry: 12%
services: 62% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.2% (2001 est.)
Labor force:
NA
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 65%, services 30%, industry 5% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget:
revenues: $94.4 million
expenditures: $99.8 million, including capital expenditures of $30.4
million (1996 est.)
Industries:
food and fish freezing, wood processing, meat canning
Industrial production growth rate:
1% (1997 est.)
Electricity - production:
43.46 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:
40.42 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
600 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
NA (2001)
Oil - imports:
NA (2001)
Agriculture - products: copra, coconuts, cocoa, coffee, taro, yams, coconuts, fruits, vegetables; fish, beef
Exports:
$22 million f.o.b. (2001)
Exports - commodities:
copra, beef, cocoa, timber, kava, coffee
Exports - partners:
India 32.5%, Thailand 22.8%, South Korea 10.5%, Indonesia 6.3%,
Japan 4.9% (2002)
Imports:
$93 million c.i.f. (2001)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, fuels
Imports - partners:
Australia 22.1%, Japan 19.2%, New Zealand 10.1%, Singapore 8.1%,
Fiji 6.6%, Taiwan 5%, India 5% (2002)
Debt - external:
$68.6 million (2000 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
$45.8 million (1995)
Currency:
vatu (VUV)
Currency code:
VUV
Exchange rates:
vatu per US dollar - 139.2 (2002), 145.31 (2001), 137.64 (2000),
129.08 (1999), 127.52 (1998)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications Vanuatu
Telephones - main lines in use:
5,500 (1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
310 (2000)
Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 2, shortwave 1 (2002)
Radios:
67,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
1 (2002)
Televisions:
2,300 (1999)
Internet country code:
.vu
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)
Internet users:
3,000 (2000)
Transportation Vanuatu
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 1,070 km paved: 256 km unpaved: 814 km (1999 est.)
Waterways:
none
Ports and harbors:
Forari, Port-Vila, Santo (Espiritu Santo)
Merchant marine:
total: 52 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,181,463 GRT/1,552,813 DWT
ships by type: bulk 26, cargo 5, combination bulk 3, container 3,
liquefied gas 2, multi-function large-load carrier 1, refrigerated
cargo 7, vehicle carrier 5
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Australia 3, Canada 2, China 1, Japan 25, Monaco 4,
Netherlands 1, NZ 5, Panama 1, Poland 1, Switzerland 2, UK 4, US 2,
Vietnam 1 (2002 est.)
Airports:
30 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1524 to 2437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 27 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 17 (2002)
Military Vanuatu
Military branches:
no regular military forces; Vanuatu Police Force (VPF; including
the paramilitary Mobile Force or VMF)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA%
Transnational Issues Vanuatu
Disputes - international: Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia claimed by Vanuatu and France
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
@Venezuela
Introduction Venezuela
Background:
Venezuela was one of three countries that emerged from the collapse
of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others being Colombia and Ecuador).
For most of the first half of the 20th century, Venezuela was ruled
by generally benevolent military strongmen, who promoted the oil
industry and allowed for some social reforms. Democratically elected
governments have held sway since 1959. Current concerns include: an
embattled president who is losing his once solid support among
Venezuelans, a divided military, drug-related conflicts along the
Colombian border, increasing internal drug consumption,
overdependence on the petroleum industry with its price
fluctuations, and irresponsible mining operations that are
endangering the rain forest and indigenous peoples.
Geography Venezuela
Location:
Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North
Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana
Geographic coordinates:
8 00 N, 66 00 W
Map references:
South America
Area:
total: 912,050 sq km
land: 882,050 sq km
water: 30,000 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly more than twice the size of California
Land boundaries: total: 4,993 km border countries: Brazil 2,200 km, Colombia 2,050 km, Guyana 743 km
Coastline: 2,800 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 15 NM territorial sea: 12 NM continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
Climate:
tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands
Terrain:
Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central plains
(llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Pico Bolivar (La Columna) 5,007 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals,
hydropower, diamonds
Land use: arable land: 2.99% permanent crops: 0.96% other: 96.05% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
540 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
subject to floods, rockslides, mudslides; periodic droughts
Environment - current issues: sewage pollution of Lago de Valencia; oil and urban pollution of Lago de Maracaibo; deforestation; soil degradation; urban and industrial pollution, especially along the Caribbean coast; threat to the rainforest ecosystem from irresponsible mining operations
Environment - international agreements: party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping
Geography - note:
on major sea and air routes linking North and South America; Angel
Falls in the Guiana Highlands is the world's highest waterfall
People Venezuela
Population:
24,654,694 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 31% (male 3,944,749; female 3,700,799)
15-64 years: 64.1% (male 7,931,194; female 7,864,697)
65 years and over: 4.9% (male 552,291; female 660,964) (2003 est.)
Median age:
total: 24.8 years
male: 24.3 years
female: 25.4 years (2002)
Population growth rate:
1.48% (2003 est.)
Birth rate:
19.78 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate:
4.9 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate:
-0.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 23.79 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 20.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 27.05 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.81 years
male: 70.78 years
female: 77.07 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.36 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.5% - note: no country specific models provided (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
62,000 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
2,000 (2001 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Venezuelan(s)
adjective: Venezuelan
Ethnic groups:
Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African, indigenous
people
Religions:
nominally Roman Catholic 96%, Protestant 2%, other 2%
Languages:
Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.4%
male: 93.8%
female: 93.1% (2003 est.)
Government Venezuela
Country name:
conventional long form: Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
conventional short form: Venezuela
local short form: Venezuela
local long form: Republica Bolivariana de Venezuela
Government type:
federal republic
Capital:
Caracas
Administrative divisions:
23 states (estados, singular - estado), 1 federal district*
(distrito federal), and 1 federal dependency** (dependencia
federal); Amazonas, Anzoategui, Apure, Aragua, Barinas, Bolivar,
Carabobo, Cojedes, Delta Amacuro, Dependencias Federales**, Distrito
Federal*, Falcon, Guarico, Lara, Merida, Miranda, Monagas, Nueva
Esparta, Portuguesa, Sucre, Tachira, Trujillo, Vargas, Yaracuy, Zulia
note: the federal dependency consists of 11 federally controlled
island groups with a total of 72 individual islands
Independence:
5 July 1811 (from Spain)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 5 July (1811)
Constitution:
30 December 1999
Legal system:
based on organic laws as of July 1999; open, adversarial court
system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias (since 3 February
1999); Vice President Jose Vicente RANGEL (since 28 April 2002);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
head of government: President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias (since 3 February
1999); Vice President Jose Vicente RANGEL (since 28 April 2002);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
election results: Hugo CHAVEZ Frias reelected president; percent of
vote - 60%
elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term;
election last held 30 July 2000 (next to be held NA 2006)
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Asamblea Nacional (165 seats;
members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms; three
seats reserved for the indigenous peoples of Venezuela)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
pro-government 108 (MVR 92, MAS 6, indigenous 3, other 7),
opposition 57 (AD 33, COPEI 6, Justice First 5, other 13)
elections: last held 30 July 2000 (next to be held NA 2005)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Tribunal of Justice or Tribuna Suprema de Justicia
(magistrates are elected by the National Assembly for a single
12-year term)
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Action or AD [Claudio FERMIN]; Fifth Republic Movement
or MVR [Garcia PONCE]; Homeland for All or PPT [Jose ALBORNIZ];
Justice First [Julio BORGES]; Movement Toward Socialism or MAS
[Hector MUJICA]; National Convergence or Convergencia [Juan Jose
CALDERA]; Radical Cause or La Causa R [Antonio HERRERA]; Social
Christian Party or COPEI [Oswaldo ALVAREZ Paz]; Venezuela Project or
PV [Henrique SALAS Romer]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
FEDECAMARAS, a conservative business group; VECINOS groups;
Venezuelan Confederation of Workers or CTV (labor organization
dominated by the Democratic Action)
International organization participation:
CAN, Caricom (observer), CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-3, G-15, G-19, G-24,
G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA,
NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNU, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Bernardo ALVAREZ
chancery: 1099 30th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New Orleans,
New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
FAX: (202) 342-6820
telephone: (202) 342-2214
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Charles S. SHAPIRO
embassy: Calle F con Calle Suapure, Urbanizacion Colinas de Valle
Arriba, Caracas 1080
mailing address: P. O. Box 62291, Caracas 1060-A; APO AA 34037
telephone: (212) 975-9234, 975-6411
FAX: (212) 975-8991
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), blue, and red with
the coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band and an arc of
seven white five-pointed stars centered in the blue band
Economy Venezuela
Economy - overview:
Venezuela continues to be highly dependent on the petroleum sector,
which accounts for roughly one-third of GDP, around 80% of export
earnings, and more than half of government operating revenues.
Despite higher oil prices at the end of 2002 and into 2003, domestic
political instability, culminating in a two-month national oil
strike from December 2002 to February 2003, temporarily halted
economic activity. The economy is likely to remain in a recession in
2003, after sinking an estimated 8.9 percent in 2002.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $131.7 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-8.9% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $5,400 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 5% industry: 50% services: 45% (2001)
Population below poverty line: 47% (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 0.8% highest 10%: 36.5% (1998)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
49.5 (1998)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
31.2% (2002 est.)
Labor force:
9.9 million (1999)
Labor force - by occupation:
services 64%, industry 23%, agriculture 13% (1997 est.)
Unemployment rate:
17% (2002 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $21.5 billion
expenditures: $27 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2000 est.)
Industries:
petroleum, iron ore mining, construction materials, food
processing, textiles, steel, aluminum, motor vehicle assembly
Industrial production growth rate:
-5.4% (2002 est.)
Electricity - production:
87.6 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 31.7% hydro: 68.3% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:
81.47 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
3.08 million bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
505,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
NA (2001)
Oil - imports:
NA (2001)
Oil - proved reserves:
63.95 billion bbl (37257)
Natural gas - production:
31.71 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
31.71 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
4.202 trillion cu m (37257)
Agriculture - products: corn, sorghum, sugarcane, rice, bananas, vegetables, coffee; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish
Exports: $28.6 billion f.o.b. (2001)
Exports - commodities: petroleum, bauxite and aluminum, steel, chemicals, agricultural products, basic manufactures
Exports - partners:
US 53.4%, Netherlands Antilles 17.3%, Canada 2.9% (2002)
Imports:
$18.8 billion f.o.b. (2001)
Imports - commodities:
raw materials, machinery and equipment, transport equipment,
construction materials
Imports - partners:
US 27.5%, Colombia 6.9%, Brazil 5.7%, Mexico 4.4% (2002)
Debt - external:
$38.2 billion (2000)
Economic aid - recipient:
$74 million (2000)
Currency:
bolivar (VEB)
Currency code:
VEB
Exchange rates:
bolivares per US dollar - 1,160.44 (2002), 723.67 (2001), 679.96
(2000), 605.72 (1999), 547.56 (1998)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications Venezuela
Telephones - main lines in use:
2.6 million (however, 3,500,000 have been installed) (1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
2 million (1998)
Telephone system:
general assessment: modern and expanding
domestic: domestic satellite system with 3 earth stations; recent
substantial improvement in telephone service in rural areas;
substantial increase in digitalization of exchanges and trunk lines;
installation of a national interurban fiber-optic network capable of
digital multimedia services
international: 3 submarine coaxial cables; satellite earth stations
- 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 PanAmSat; participating with
Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia in the construction of an
international fiber-optic network
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 201, FM NA (20 in Caracas), shortwave 11 (1998)
Radios:
10.75 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
66 (plus 45 repeaters) (1997)
Televisions:
4.1 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.ve
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
16 (2000)
Internet users:
1.3 million (2002)
Transportation Venezuela
Railways: total: 682 km standard gauge: 682 km 1.435-m gauge (2002)
Highways: total: 96,155 km paved: 32,308 km unpaved: 63,847 km (1999 est.)
Waterways:
7,100 km
note: Rio Orinoco and Lago de Maracaibo accept oceangoing vessels
Pipelines:
extra heavy crude 992 km; gas 5,262 km; oil 7,484 km; refined
products 1,681 km; unknown (oil/water) 141 km (2003)
Ports and harbors:
Amuay, Bajo Grande, El Tablazo, La Guaira, La Salina, Maracaibo,
Matanzas, Palua, Puerto Cabello, Puerto la Cruz, Puerto Ordaz,
Puerto Sucre, Punta Cardon
Merchant marine:
total: 47 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 714,073 GRT/1,256,667 DWT
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Denmark 1, Greece 1, Italy 1, UK 1, US 2 (2002 est.)
ships by type: bulk 6, cargo 8, chemical tanker 1, container 1,
liquefied gas 4, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 15, roll
on/roll off 10, short-sea passenger 1
Airports:
373 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 127 over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 11 914 to 1,523 m: 61 under 914 m: 18 (2002) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 32
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 246 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 97 under 914 m: 139 (2002)
Heliports: 1 (2002)
Military Venezuela
Military branches:
National Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas Nacionales or FAN) includes
Ground Forces or Army (Fuerzas Terrestres or Ejercito), Naval Forces
(Fuerzas Navales or Armada - including marines and Coast Guard), Air
Force (Fuerzas Aereas or Aviacion), Armed Forces of Cooperation or
National Guard (Fuerzas Armadas de Cooperacion or Guardia Nacional)
Military manpower - military age:
18 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 6,767,862 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 4,870,751 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 249,319 (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$934 million (FY99)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
0.9% (FY99)
Transnational Issues Venezuela
Disputes - international:
claims all of Guyana west of the Essequibo River; maritime boundary
dispute with Colombia in the Gulf of Venezuela and the Caribbean
Sea; US, France and the Netherlands recognize Venezuela's claim to
give full effect to Aves Island, which creates a Venezuelan
EEZ/continental shelf extending over a large portion of the
Caribbean Sea; Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines protest the claim and other states'
recognition of it
Illicit drugs:
small-scale illicit producer of opium and coca for the processing
of opiates and coca derivatives; however, large quantities of
cocaine, heroin, and marijuana transit the country from Colombia
bound for US and Europe; significant narcotics-related
money-laundering activity, especially along the border with Colombia
and on Margarita Island; active eradication program primarily
targeting opium; increasing signs of drug-related activities by
Colombian insurgents on border
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
@Vietnam
Introduction Vietnam
Background:
France occupied all of Vietnam by 1884. Independence was declared
after World War II, but the French continued to rule until 1954 when
they were defeated by Communist forces under Ho Chi MINH, who took
control of the North. US economic and military aid to South Vietnam
grew through the 1960s in an attempt to bolster the government, but
US armed forces were withdrawn following a cease-fire agreement in
1973. Two years later, North Vietnamese forces overran the South.
Economic reconstruction of the reunited country has proven difficult
as aging Communist Party leaders have only grudgingly initiated
reforms necessary for a free market.
Geography Vietnam
Location:
Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, Gulf of Tonkin,
and South China Sea, alongside China, Laos, and Cambodia
Geographic coordinates:
16 00 N, 106 00 E
Map references:
Southeast Asia
Area:
total: 329,560 sq km
land: 325,360 sq km
water: 4,200 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than New Mexico
Land boundaries: total: 4,639 km border countries: Cambodia 1,228 km, China 1,281 km, Laos 2,130 km
Coastline:
3,444 km (excludes islands)
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
Climate:
tropical in south; monsoonal in north with hot, rainy season
(mid-May to mid-September) and warm, dry season (mid-October to
mid-March)
Terrain:
low, flat delta in south and north; central highlands; hilly,
mountainous in far north and northwest
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Fan Si Pan 3,144 m
Natural resources:
phosphates, coal, manganese, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil and
gas deposits, forests, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 17.41% permanent crops: 4.71% other: 77.88% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
30,000 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
occasional typhoons (May to January) with extensive flooding,
especially in the Mekong River delta
Environment - current issues:
logging and slash-and-burn agricultural practices contribute to
deforestation and soil degradation; water pollution and overfishing
threaten marine life populations; groundwater contamination limits
potable water supply; growing urban industrialization and population
migration are rapidly degrading environment in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh
City
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Nuclear
Test Ban
Geography - note:
extending 1,650 km north to south, the country is only 50 km across
at its narrowest point
People Vietnam
Population:
81,624,716 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 30.2% (male 12,699,002; female 11,967,674)
15-64 years: 64.2% (male 25,776,600; female 26,599,005)
65 years and over: 5.6% (male 1,902,464; female 2,679,971) (2003
est.)
Median age: total: 24.5 years male: 23.6 years female: 25.5 years (2002)
Population growth rate:
1.29% (2003 est.)
Birth rate:
19.58 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate:
6.19 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate:
-0.46 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 30.83 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 26.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 34.71 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.05 years
male: 67.58 years
female: 72.7 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.24 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.3% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
130,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
6,600 (2001 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Vietnamese (singular and plural)
adjective: Vietnamese
Ethnic groups:
Vietnamese 85%-90%, Chinese, Hmong, Thai, Khmer, Cham, mountain
groups
Religions:
Buddhist, Hoa Hao, Cao Dai, Christian (predominantly Roman
Catholic, some Protestant), indigenous beliefs, Muslim
Languages:
Vietnamese (official), English (increasingly favored as a second
language), some French, Chinese, and Khmer; mountain area languages
(Mon-Khmer and Malayo-Polynesian)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 94%
male: 95.8%
female: 92.3% (2003 est.)
Government Vietnam
Country name:
conventional long form: Socialist Republic of Vietnam
conventional short form: Vietnam
local short form: Viet Nam
abbreviation: SRV
local long form: Cong Hoa Xa Hoi Chu Nghia Viet Nam
Government type:
Communist state
Capital:
Hanoi
Administrative divisions:
58 provinces (tinh, singular and plural), and 3 municipalities*
(thu do, singular and plural); An Giang, Bac Giang, Bac Kan, Bac
Lieu, Bac Ninh, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Ben Tre, Binh Dinh, Binh Duong,
Binh Phuoc, Binh Thuan, Ca Mau, Can Tho, Cao Bang, Dac Lak, Da Nang,
Dong Nai, Dong Thap, Gia Lai, Ha Giang, Hai Duong, Hai Phong*, Ha
Nam, Ha Noi*, Ha Tay, Ha Tinh, Hoa Binh, Ho Chi Minh*, Hung Yen,
Khanh Hoa, Kien Giang, Kon Tum, Lai Chau, Lam Dong, Lang Son, Lao
Cai, Long An, Nam Dinh, Nghe An, Ninh Binh, Ninh Thuan, Phu Tho, Phu
Yen, Quang Binh, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Quang Ninh, Quang Tri, Soc
Trang, Son La, Tay Ninh, Thai Binh, Thai Nguyen, Thanh Hoa, Thua
Thien-Hue, Tien Giang, Tra Vinh, Tuyen Quang, Vinh Long, Vinh Phuc,
Yen Bai
Independence:
2 September 1945 (from France)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 2 September (1945)
Constitution:
15 April 1992
Legal system:
based on communist legal theory and French civil law system
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Tran Duc LUONG (since 24 September 1997)
elections: president elected by the National Assembly from among its
members for a five-year term; election last held 25 July 2002 (next
to be held when National Assembly meets following legislative
elections in 2007); prime minister appointed by the president from
among the members of the National Assembly; deputy prime ministers
appointed by the prime minister
head of government: Prime Minister Phan Van KHAI (since 25 September
1997); First Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Tan DUNG (since 29
September 1997); Deputy Prime Ministers Vu KHOAN (since NA) and Pham
Gia KHIEM (since 29 September 1997)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the proposal of the
prime minister and ratification of the National Assembly
election results: Tran Duc LUONG elected president; percent of
National Assembly vote - NA%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Quoc-Hoi (498 seats; members
elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 19 May 2002 (next to be held 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - CPV 90%, other 10% (the
10% are not CPV members but are approved by the CPV to stand for
election); seats by party - CPV 447, CPV-approved 51
Judicial branch:
Supreme People's Court (chief justice is elected for a five-year
term by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president)
Political parties and leaders:
only party - Communist Party of Vietnam or CPV [Nong Duc MANH,
general secretary]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
none
International organization participation:
ACCT, APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM
(observer), ISO, ITU, NAM, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Nguyen Tam CHIEN consulate(s) general: San Francisco FAX: (202) 861-0917 telephone: (202) 861-0737 chancery: 1233 20th Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Raymond F. BURGHARDT embassy: 7 Lang Ha Road, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi mailing address: PSC 461, Box 400, FPO AP 96521-0002 telephone: (4) 772-1500 FAX: (4) 772-1510 consulate(s) general: Ho Chi Minh City
Flag description: red with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center
Economy Vietnam
Economy - overview:
Vietnam is a poor, densely-populated country that has had to
recover from the ravages of war, the loss of financial support from
the old Soviet Bloc, and the rigidities of a centrally planned
economy. Substantial progress was achieved from 1986 to 1996 in
moving forward from an extremely low starting point - growth
averaged around 9% per year from 1993 to 1997. The 1997 Asian
financial crisis highlighted the problems in the Vietnamese economy
but, rather than prompting reform, reaffirmed the government's
belief that shifting to a market-oriented economy would lead to
disaster. GDP growth of 8.5% in 1997 fell to 6% in 1998 and 5% in
1999. Growth then rose to 6% to 7% in 2000-02 even against the
background of global recession. These numbers mask some major
difficulties in economic performance. Many domestic industries,
including coal, cement, steel, and paper, have reported large
stockpiles of inventory and tough competition from more efficient
foreign producers. Meanwhile, Vietnamese authorities have moved to
implement the structural reforms needed to modernize the economy and
to produce more competitive, export-driven industries. The
US-Vietnam Bilateral Trade Agreement entered into force near the end
of 2001 and is expected to significantly increase Vietnam's exports
to the US. The US is assisting Vietnam with implementing the legal
and structural reforms called for in the agreement.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $183.8 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
7% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $2,300 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 24% industry: 37% services: 39% (2001 est.)
Population below poverty line: 37% (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.6% highest 10%: 29.9% (1998)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
36.1 (1998)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.9% (2002 est.)
Labor force:
38.2 million (1998 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 63%, industry and services 37% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate:
25% (1995 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $5.3 billion
expenditures: $5.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.8
billion (1999 est.)
Industries:
food processing, garments, shoes, machine-building, mining, cement,
chemical fertilizer, glass, tires, oil, coal, steel, paper
Industrial production growth rate:
10.2% (2002 est.)
Electricity - production:
29.8 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 43.7% hydro: 56.3% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:
27.71 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
356,700 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
185,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
NA (2001)
Oil - imports:
NA (2001)
Oil - proved reserves:
1.4 billion bbl (37257)
Natural gas - production:
1.3 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
1.3 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
192.6 billion cu m (37257)
Agriculture - products: paddy rice, corn, potatoes, rubber, soybeans, coffee, tea, bananas, sugar; poultry, pigs; fish
Exports: $16.5 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities:
crude oil, marine products, rice, coffee, rubber, tea, garments,
shoes
Exports - partners:
US 15.2%, Japan 14.9%, Australia 7.6%, China 6.6%, Germany 6.5%,
Singapore 5.5%, UK 4.3% (2002)
Imports:
$16.8 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, petroleum products, fertilizer, steel
products, raw cotton, grain, cement, motorcycles
Imports - partners:
South Korea 12.7%, China 12.2%, Japan 12.1%, Singapore 11.8%,
Taiwan 10.6%, Thailand 5.4% (2002)
Debt - external:
$14.1 billion (2001)
Economic aid - recipient: $2.1 billion in credits and grants pledged by international donors for 2000
Currency:
dong (VND)
Currency code:
VND
Exchange rates:
dong per US dollar - 15,325.8 (2002), 14,725.2 (2001), 14,167.7
(2000), 13,943.2 (1999), 13,268 (1998)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications Vietnam
Telephones - main lines in use:
2.6 million (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
730,155 (2000)
Telephone system:
general assessment: Vietnam is putting considerable effort into
modernization and expansion of its telecommunication system, but its
performance continues to lag behind that of its more modern neighbors
domestic: all provincial exchanges are digitalized and connected to
Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City by fiber-optic cable or
microwave radio relay networks; since 1991, main lines in use have
been substantially increased and the use of mobile telephones is
growing rapidly
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intersputnik (Indian
Ocean region)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 65, FM 7, shortwave 29 (1999)
Radios:
8.2 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
at least 7 (plus 13 repeaters) (1998)
Televisions:
3.57 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.vn
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
5 (2000)
Internet users:
400,000 (2002)
Transportation Vietnam
Railways:
total: 3,142 km
standard gauge: 209 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 2,625 km 1.000-m gauge
dual gauge: 308 km three-rail track combining 1.435-m and 1.000-m
gauges (2002)
Highways:
total: 93,300 km
paved: 23,418 km
unpaved: 69,882 km (1999 est.)
Waterways:
17,702 km
note: more than 5,149 km are navigable at all times by vessels up to
1.8 m draft
Pipelines:
condensate/gas 432 km; gas 210 km; oil 3 km; refined products 206
km (2003)
Ports and harbors:
Cam Ranh, Da Nang, Haiphong, Ho Chi Minh City, Ha Long, Quy Nhon,
Nha Trang, Vinh, Vung Tau
Merchant marine:
total: 180 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,054,423 GRT/1,588,732 DWT
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Cambodia 1, Japan 1, Singapore 1, UK 2 (2002 est.)
ships by type: bulk 13, cargo 128, chemical tanker 1, combination
bulk 1, container 9, liquefied gas 4, petroleum tanker 21,
refrigerated cargo 3
Airports:
47 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 24 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 6 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 23 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 12 (2002)
Military Vietnam
Military branches:
People's Army of Vietnam (includes Ground Forces, People's Navy
Command [including Naval Infantry], Air and Air Defense Force, Coast
Guard)
Military manpower - military age:
17 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 22,888,109 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 14,366,732 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 871,036 (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$650 million (FY98)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.5% (FY98)
Transnational Issues Vietnam
Disputes - international:
demarcation of the land boundary with China continues, but maritime
boundary and joint fishing zone agreement remains unratified;
Cambodia and Laos protest Vietnamese squatters and armed
encroachments along border; China occupies Paracel Islands also
claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan; involved in a complex dispute over
Spratly Islands with China, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, and
possibly Brunei; claimants in November 2002 signed the "Declaration
on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea", a mechanism to
ease tension but which fell short of a legally binding "code of
conduct"
Illicit drugs:
minor producer of opium poppy; probable minor transit point for
Southeast Asian heroin; domestic opium/heroin/methamphetamine
addiction problems
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
@Virgin Islands
Introduction Virgin Islands
Background: During the 17th century, the archipelago was divided into two territorial units, one English and the other Danish. Sugarcane, produced by slave labor, drove the islands' economy during the 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1917, the US purchased the Danish portion, which had been in economic decline since the abolition of slavery in 1848.
Geography Virgin Islands
Location:
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic
Ocean, east of Puerto Rico
Geographic coordinates:
18 20 N, 64 50 W
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 352 sq km
water: 3 sq km
land: 349 sq km
Area - comparative:
twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
188 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate:
subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds, relatively low
humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season May to
November
Terrain:
mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Crown Mountain 474 m
Natural resources: sun, sand, sea, surf
Land use: arable land: 15% permanent crops: 6% other: 79% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
NA sq km
Natural hazards:
several hurricanes in recent years; frequent and severe droughts
and floods; occasional earthquakes
Environment - current issues:
lack of natural freshwater resources
Geography - note:
important location along the Anegada Passage - a key shipping lane
for the Panama Canal; Saint Thomas has one of the best natural
deepwater harbors in the Caribbean
People Virgin Islands
Population:
124,778 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 26% (male 16,685; female 15,794)
15-64 years: 64.4% (male 36,241; female 44,157)
65 years and over: 9.5% (male 5,078; female 6,823) (2003 est.)
Median age:
total: 31.2 years
male: 28.6 years
female: 33.7 years (2002)
Population growth rate:
1.02% (2003 est.)
Birth rate:
15.8 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate:
5.68 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate:
0.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.82 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
total population: 0.87 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 9 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 7.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 10.12 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.59 years
male: 74.73 years
female: 82.68 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.22 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Virgin Islander(s)
adjective: Virgin Islander
Ethnic groups:
black 78%, white 10%, other 12%
note: West Indian 81% (49% born in the Virgin Islands and 32% born
elsewhere in the West Indies), US mainland 13%, Puerto Rican 4%,
other 2%
Religions:
Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%, other 7%
Languages:
English (official), Spanish, Creole
Literacy: definition: NA total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%
Government Virgin Islands
Country name:
conventional long form: United States Virgin Islands
conventional short form: Virgin Islands
former: Danish West Indies
Dependency status:
organized, unincorporated territory of the US with policy relations
between the Virgin Islands and the US under the jurisdiction of the
Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior
Government type:
NA
Capital:
Charlotte Amalie
Administrative divisions:
none (territory of the US); there are no first-order administrative
divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are three
islands at the second order; Saint Croix, Saint John, Saint Thomas
National holiday:
Transfer Day (from Denmark to the US), 27 March (1917)
Constitution:
Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954
Legal system:
based on US laws
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal; note - indigenous inhabitants are US
citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections
Executive branch:
chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20
January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (Since 20 January
2001)
election results: Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL reelected governor;
percent of vote - Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL (Democrat) 50.5%, John
de JONGH 24.4%
elections: US president and vice president elected on the same
ticket for four-year terms; governor and lieutenant governor elected
on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election
last held 5 November 2002 (next to be held NA November 2006)
head of government: Governor Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL (since 5
January 1999) and Lieutenant Governor Vargrave RICHARDS (since NA
January 2003)
cabinet: NA
Legislative branch:
unicameral Senate (15 seats; members are elected by popular vote to
serve two-year terms)
elections: last held 6 November 2002 (next to be held NA November
2004)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
Democratic Party 8, ICM NA, no party affiliation NA
note: the Virgin Islands elects one non-voting representative to the
US House of Representatives; election last held 6 November 2002
(next to be held NA November 2004); results - Donna M.
CHRISTIAN-CHRISTENSON (Democrat) reelected
Judicial branch:
US District Court of the Virgin Islands (under Third Circuit
jurisdiction); Territorial Court (judges appointed by the governor
for 10-year terms)
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party [Arturo WATLINGTON]; Independent Citizens'
Movement or ICM [Usie RICHARDS]; Republican Party [Gary SPRAUVE]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
ECLAC (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (territory of the US)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (territory of the US)
Flag description:
white, with a modified US coat of arms in the center between the
large blue initials V and I; the coat of arms shows a yellow eagle
holding an olive branch in one talon and three arrows in the other
with a superimposed shield of vertical red and white stripes below a
blue panel
Economy Virgin Islands
Economy - overview:
Tourism is the primary economic activity, accounting for more than
70% of GDP and 70% of employment. The islands normally host 2
million visitors a year. The manufacturing sector consists of
petroleum refining, textiles, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and
watch assembly. The agricultural sector is small, with most food
being imported. International business and financial services are a
small but growing component of the economy. One of the world's
largest petroleum refineries is at Saint Croix. The islands are
subject to substantial damage from storms. The government is working
to improve fiscal discipline, support construction projects in the
private sector, expand tourist facilities, reduce crime, and protect
the environment.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $2.4 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $19,000 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2% (1992)
Labor force:
49,000 (2002 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 1%, industry 20%, services 79% (1990 est.)
Unemployment rate:
4.9% (March 1999)
Budget:
revenues: $364.4 million
expenditures: $364.4 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1990 est.)
Industries:
tourism, petroleum refining, watch assembly, rum distilling,
construction, pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
1.03 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:
957.9 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
66,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
NA (2001)
Oil - imports:
NA (2001)
Agriculture - products:
fruit, vegetables, sorghum; Senepol cattle
Exports:
$NA
Exports - commodities:
refined petroleum products
Exports - partners:
US, Puerto Rico
Imports:
$NA
Imports - commodities:
crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, building materials
Imports - partners:
US, Puerto Rico
Debt - external:
$NA
Economic aid - recipient:
$NA
Currency:
US dollar (USD)
Currency code:
USD
Exchange rates:
the US dollar is used
Fiscal year:
1 October - 30 September
Communications Virgin Islands
Telephones - main lines in use:
65,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
2,000 (1992)
Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: modern, uses fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay
international: submarine cable and satellite communications;
satellite earth stations - NA
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 5, FM 11, shortwave 0 (2002)
Radios:
107,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
2 (2002)
Televisions:
68,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.vi
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
50 (2000)
Internet users:
12,000 (2000)
Transportation Virgin Islands
Railways:
0 km
Highways:
total: 856 km
paved: NA km
note: the only US possession where driving on the left side of the
road is practiced (2000)
unpaved: NA km
Waterways:
none
Ports and harbors:
Charlotte Amalie, Christiansted, Cruz Bay, Port Alucroix
Merchant marine:
none (2002 est.)
Airports:
2 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2002)
Military Virgin Islands
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the US
Transnational Issues Virgin Islands
Disputes - international: none
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
@Wake Island
Introduction Wake Island
Background:
The US annexed Wake Island in 1899 for a cable station. An
important air and naval base was constructed in 1940-41. In December
1941, the island was captured by the Japanese and held until the end
of World War II. In subsequent years, Wake was developed as a
stopover and refueling site for military and commercial aircraft
transiting the Pacific. Since 1974, the island's airstrip has been
used by the US military and some commercial cargo planes, as well as
for emergency landings. There are over 700 landings a year on the
island.
Geography Wake Island
Location:
Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the
way from Hawaii to the Northern Mariana Islands
Geographic coordinates:
19 17 N, 166 36 E
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total: 6.5 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 6.5 sq km
Area - comparative:
about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
19.3 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate:
tropical
Terrain:
atoll of three coral islands built up on an underwater volcano;
central lagoon is former crater, islands are part of the rim
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 6 m
Natural resources:
none
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
0 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
occasional typhoons
Environment - current issues:
NA
Geography - note:
strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean; emergency landing
location for transpacific flights
People Wake Island
Population:
no indigenous inhabitants
note: US military personnel have left the island, but contractor
personnel remain; as of October 2001, 200 contractor personnel were
present (July 2003 est.)
Government Wake Island
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Wake Island
Dependency status:
unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Washington,
DC, by the Department of the Interior; activities on the island are
managed by the US Air Force
Legal system:
the laws of the US, where applicable, apply
Flag description:
the flag of the US is used
Economy Wake Island
Economy - overview:
Economic activity is limited to providing services to contractors
located on the island. All food and manufactured goods must be
imported.
Electricity - production:
NA
Communications Wake Island
Telephone system:
general assessment: satellite communications; 1 DSN circuit off the
Overseas Telephone System (OTS)
domestic: NA
international: NA
Radio broadcast stations: AM 0, FM NA, shortwave NA note: Armed Forces Radio/Television Service (AFRTS) radio service provided by satellite (1998)
Television broadcast stations: 0 (1997)
Transportation Wake Island
Waterways:
none
Ports and harbors:
none; two offshore anchorages for large ships
Airports:
1 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2002)
Transportation - note:
formerly an important commercial aviation base, now used by US
military, some commercial cargo planes, and for emergency landings
Military Wake Island
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the US
Transnational Issues Wake Island
Disputes - international: claimed by Marshall Islands
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
@Wallis and Futuna
Introduction Wallis and Futuna
Background:
Although discovered by the Dutch and the British in the 17th and
18th centuries, it was the French who declared a protectorate over
the islands in 1842. In 1959, the inhabitants of the islands voted
to become a French overseas territory.
Geography Wallis and Futuna
Location:
Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of
the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Geographic coordinates:
13 18 S, 176 12 W
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total: 274 sq km
note: includes Ile Uvea (Wallis Island), Ile Futuna (Futuna Island),
Ile Alofi, and 20 islets
water: 0 sq km
land: 274 sq km
Area - comparative:
1.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
129 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate:
tropical; hot, rainy season (November to April); cool, dry season
(May to October); rains 2,500-3,000 mm per year (80% humidity);
average temperature 26.6 degrees C
Terrain:
volcanic origin; low hills
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Singavi 765 m
Natural resources:
NEGL
Land use:
arable land: 5%
permanent crops: 20%
other: 75% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
NA sq km
Natural hazards:
NA
Environment - current issues:
deforestation (only small portions of the original forests remain)
largely as a result of the continued use of wood as the main fuel
source; as a consequence of cutting down the forests, the
mountainous terrain of Futuna is particularly prone to erosion;
there are no permanent settlements on Alofi because of the lack of
natural fresh water resources
Geography - note:
both island groups have fringing reefs
People Wallis and Futuna
Population: 15,734 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: NA% 15-64 years: NA% 65 years and over: NA% (2003 est.)
Population growth rate:
NA (2003 est.)
Birth rate:
NA births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate:
NA deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate:
NA migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New
Caledonia (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: NA%
male: NA%
female: NA%
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: NA years
male: NA years
female: NA years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate:
NA children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Wallisian(s), Futunan(s), or Wallis and Futuna Islanders
adjective: Wallisian, Futunan, or Wallis and Futuna Islander
Ethnic groups:
Polynesian
Religions:
Roman Catholic 99%, other 1%
Languages:
French, Wallisian (indigenous Polynesian language)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 50%
male: 50%
female: 50% (1969 est.)
Government Wallis and Futuna
Country name:
conventional long form: Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands
conventional short form: Wallis and Futuna
local short form: Wallis et Futuna
local long form: Territoire des Iles Wallis et Futuna
Dependency status:
overseas territory of France
Government type:
NA
Capital:
Mata-Utu (on Ile Uvea)
Administrative divisions:
none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order
administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there
are three kingdoms at the second order named Alo, Sigave, Wallis
Independence:
none (overseas territory of France)
National holiday:
Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)
Constitution:
28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system:
French legal system
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May
1995), represented by High Administrator Christian JOB (since 6
August 2002)
elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year
term; high administrator appointed by the French president on the
advice of the French Ministry of the Interior; the presidents of the
Territorial Government and the Territorial Assembly are elected by
the members of the assembly
note: there are three traditional kings with limited powers
head of government: President of the Territorial Assembly Patalione
KANIMOA (since NA January 2001)
cabinet: Council of the Territory consists of three kings and three
members appointed by the high administrator on the advice of the
Territorial Assembly
Legislative branch:
unicameral Territorial Assembly or Assemblee Territoriale (20
seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 11 March 2002 (next to be held NA March 2007)
note: Wallis and Futuna elects one senator to the French Senate and
one deputy to the French National Assembly; French Senate -
elections last held 27 September 1998 (next to be held by NA
September 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats -
RPR (now UMP) 1; French National Assembly - elections last held 16
June 2002 (next to be held by NA 2007); results - percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats - RPR (UMP) 1
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
RPR and affiliates 13, Socialists and affiliates 7
Judicial branch:
none; justice generally administered under French law by the high
administrator, but the three traditional kings administer customary
law and there is a magistrate in Mata-Utu
Political parties and leaders:
Lua Kae Tahi (Giscardians) [leader NA]; Mouvement des Radicaux de
Gauche or MRG [leader NA]; Rally for the Republic or RPR [Clovis
LOGOLOGOFOLAU]; Taumu'a Lelei [Soane Muni UHILA]; Union Populaire
Locale or UPL [Falakiko GATA]; Union Pour la Democratie Francaise or
UDF [leader NA]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
FZ, SPC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (overseas territory of France)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (overseas territory of France)
Flag description:
a large white modified Maltese cross - shifted a little off center
toward the fly and slightly downward - on a red background; the flag
of France outlined in white on two sides is in the upper hoist
quadrant; the flag of France is used for official occasions
Economy Wallis and Futuna
Economy - overview:
The economy is limited to traditional subsistence agriculture, with
about 80% labor force earnings from agriculture (coconuts and
vegetables), livestock (mostly pigs), and fishing. About 4% of the
population is employed in government. Revenues come from French
Government subsidies, licensing of fishing rights to Japan and South
Korea, import taxes, and remittances from expatriate workers in New
Caledonia.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $30 million (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
NA%
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $2,000 (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
NA%
Labor force:
NA
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture, livestock, and fishing 80%, government 4% (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget:
revenues: $20 million
expenditures: $17 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1998 est.)
Industries:
copra, handicrafts, fishing, lumber
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
NA kWh
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 0% hydro: 0% other: 0% nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:
NA kWh
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2002)
Agriculture - products:
breadfruit, yams, taro, bananas; pigs, goats
Exports:
$250,000 f.o.b. (1999)
Exports - commodities:
copra, chemicals, construction materials
Exports - partners:
Italy 40%, Croatia 15%, US 14%, Denmark 13%
Imports:
$300,000 f.o.b. (1999)
Imports - commodities:
chemicals, machinery, passenger ships, consumer goods
Imports - partners:
France 97%, Australia 2%, New Zealand 1%
Debt - external:
$NA
Economic aid - recipient:
assistance from France
Currency:
Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (XPF); note - may adopt the
euro in 2003
Currency code:
XPF
Exchange rates:
Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 126.41
(2002), 133.26 (2001), 129.43 (2000), 111.93 (1999), 107.25 (1998)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications Wallis and Futuna
Telephones - main lines in use:
1,125 (1994)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
0 (1994)
Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: NA
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (2000)
Radios:
NA
Television broadcast stations:
2 (2000)
Televisions:
NA
Internet country code:
.wf
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)
Internet users:
NA
Transportation Wallis and Futuna
Railways:
0 km
Highways:
total: 120 km (Ile Uvea 100 km, Ile Futuna 20 km)
paved: 16 km (all on Ile Uvea)
unpaved: 104 km (Ile Uvea 84 km, Ile Futuna 20 km)
Waterways:
none
Ports and harbors:
Leava, Mata-Utu
Merchant marine:
total: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 85,572 GRT/9,004 DWT
ships by type: passenger 4
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: France 3, US 1 (2002 est.)
Airports:
2 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)
Military Wallis and Futuna
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of France
Transnational Issues Wallis and Futuna
Disputes - international: none
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
@West Bank
Introduction West Bank
Background:
The Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government
Arrangements (the DOP), signed in Washington on 13 September 1993,
provided for a transitional period not exceeding five years of
Palestinian interim self-government in the Gaza Strip and the West
Bank. Under the DOP, Israel agreed to transfer certain powers and
responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority, which includes the
Palestinian Legislative Council elected in January 1996, as part of
the interim self-governing arrangements in the West Bank and Gaza
Strip. A transfer of powers and responsibilities for the Gaza Strip
and Jericho took place pursuant to the Israel-PLO 4 May 1994 Cairo
Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area and in additional
areas of the West Bank pursuant to the Israel-PLO 28 September 1995
Interim Agreement, the Israel-PLO 15 January 1997 Protocol
Concerning Redeployment in Hebron, the Israel-PLO 23 October 1998
Wye River Memorandum, and the 4 September 1999 Sharm el-Sheikh
Agreement. The DOP provides that Israel will retain responsibility
during the transitional period for external security and for
internal security and public order of settlements and Israeli
citizens. Direct negotiations to determine the permanent status of
Gaza and West Bank had begun in September 1999 after a three-year
hiatus, but have been derailed by a second intifadah that broke out
in September 2000. The resulting widespread violence in the West
Bank and Gaza Strip, Israel's military response, and instability
within the Palestinian Authority continue to undermine progress
toward a permanent agreement.
Geography West Bank
Location:
Middle East, west of Jordan
Geographic coordinates:
32 00 N, 35 15 E
Map references:
Middle East
Area:
total: 5,860 sq km
note: includes West Bank, Latrun Salient, and the northwest quarter
of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus; East Jerusalem and
Jerusalem No Man's Land are also included only as a means of
depicting the entire area occupied by Israel in 1967
water: 220 sq km
land: 5,640 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Delaware
Land boundaries: total: 404 km border countries: Israel 307 km, Jordan 97 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
temperate; temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm
to hot summers, cool to mild winters
Terrain:
mostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west, but barren
in east
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
highest point: Tall Asur 1,022 m
Natural resources:
arable land
Land use:
arable land: NEGL%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
NA sq km
Natural hazards:
droughts
Environment - current issues:
adequacy of fresh water supply; sewage treatment
Geography - note:
landlocked; highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal
aquifers; there are 242 Israeli settlements and civilian land use
sites in the West Bank and 29 in East Jerusalem (February 2002 est.)
People West Bank
Population:
2,237,194 (July 2002 est.)
note: in addition, there are about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the
West Bank and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem (February 2002
est.) (July 2003 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 44.1% (male 505,880; female 481,369)
15-64 years: 52.4% (male 598,992; female 572,511)
65 years and over: 3.5% (male 33,688; female 44,754) (2003 est.)
Median age:
total: 17.9 years
male: 17.7 years
female: 18 years (2002)
Population growth rate:
3.3% (2003 est.)
Birth rate:
34.07 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate:
4.16 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate:
3.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 20.68 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 18.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 22.86 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.68 years
male: 70.95 years
female: 74.51 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate:
4.65 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: NA
adjective: NA
Ethnic groups:
Palestinian Arab and other 83%, Jewish 17%
Religions:
Muslim 75% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 17%, Christian and other 8%
Languages:
Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians),
English (widely understood)
Literacy: definition: NA total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%
Government West Bank
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: West Bank
Economy West Bank
Economy - overview:
Real per capita GDP for the West Bank and Gaza Strip (WBGS)
declined by about one-third between 1992 and 1996 due to the
combined effect of falling aggregate incomes and rapid population
growth. The downturn in economic activity was largely the result of
Israeli closure policies - the imposition of border closures in
response to security incidents in Israel - which disrupted labor and
commodity market relationships between Israel and the WBGS. The most
serious social effect of this downturn was rising unemployment;
unemployment in the WBGS during the 1980s was generally under 5%; by
1995 it had risen to over 20%. Israel's use of comprehensive
closures during the next five years decreased and, in 1998, Israel
implemented new policies to reduce the impact of closures and other
security procedures on the movement of Palestinian goods and labor.
These changes fueled an almost three-year-long economic recovery in
the West Bank and Gaza Strip; real GDP grew by 5% in 1998 and 6% in
1999. Recovery was upended in the last quarter of 2000 with the
outbreak of violence, which triggered tight Israeli closures of
Palestinian self-rule areas and severely disrupted trade and labor
movements. In 2001, and even more severely in 2002, Israeli military
measures in Palestinian Authority areas have resulted in the
destruction of much capital plant and administrative structure,
widespread business closures, and a sharp drop in GDP. Another major
loss has been the decline in earnings of Palestinian workers in
Israel. International aid of $2 billion in 2001-02 to the West Bank
and Gaza Strip have prevented the complete collapse of the economy.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $1.7 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-22% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $800 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 9% industry: 28% services: 63% note: includes Gaza Strip (1999 est.)
Population below poverty line:
60% (2002 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.2% (includes Gaza Strip) (2001 est.)
Labor force:
NA
Labor force - by occupation:
services 66%, industry 21%, agriculture 13% (1996)
Unemployment rate:
50% (includes Gaza Strip) (2002 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $930 million
note: includes Gaza Strip (2000 est.)
expenditures: $1.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $15
million
Industries:
generally small family businesses that produce cement, textiles,
soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the
Israelis have established some small-scale, modern industries in the
settlements and industrial centers
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
NA kWh; note - most electricity imported from Israel; East
Jerusalem Electric Company buys and distributes electricity to
Palestinians in East Jerusalem and its concession in the West Bank;
the Israel Electric Company directly supplies electricity to most
Jewish residents and military facilities; some Palestinian
municipalities, such as Nablus and Janin, generate their own
electricity from small power plants
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0%
Electricity - consumption:
NA kWh
Electricity - imports:
NA kWh
Agriculture - products:
olives, citrus, vegetables; beef, dairy products
Exports:
$603 million f.o.b., includes Gaza Strip
Exports - commodities:
olives, fruit, vegetables, limestone
Exports - partners:
Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2000)
Imports:
$1.9 billion c.i.f., includes Gaza Strip
Imports - commodities:
food, consumer goods, construction materials
Imports - partners:
Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2000)
Debt - external:
$108 million (includes Gaza Strip) (1997 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
$800 million (includes Gaza Strip) (2001 est.)
Currency:
new Israeli shekel (ILS); Jordanian dinar (JOD)
Currency code:
ILS; JOD
Exchange rates:
new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.7378 (2002), 4.2057 (2001),
4.0773 (2000), 4.1397 (1999), 3.8001 (1998), 3.4494 (1997);
Jordanian dinars per US dollar - fixed rate of 0.7090 (from 1996)
Fiscal year:
calendar year (since 1 January 1992)
Communications West Bank
Telephones - main lines in use:
95,729 (total for West Bank and Gaza Strip) (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
NA
Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: NA
note: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL are
responsible for communication services in the West Bank
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0
note: the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation broadcasts from an AM
station in Ramallah on 675 kHz; numerous local, private stations are
reported to be in operation (2000)
Radios:
NA; note - most Palestinian households have radios (1999)
Television broadcast stations:
NA
Televisions:
NA; note - many Palestinian households have televisions (1999)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
8 (1999)
Internet users:
60,000 (includes Gaza Strip) (2001)
Transportation West Bank
Railways:
0 km
Highways:
total: 4,500 km
paved: 2,700 km
unpaved: 1,800 km
note: Israelis have developed many highways to service Jewish
settlements (1997 est.)
Waterways:
none
Ports and harbors:
none
Airports:
3 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2002)
Military West Bank
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA%
Transnational Issues West Bank
Disputes - international:
West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status
subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent
status to be determined through further negotiation
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
@Western Sahara
Introduction Western Sahara
Background:
Morocco virtually annexed the northern two-thirds of Western Sahara
(formerly Spanish Sahara) in 1976, and the rest of the territory in
1979, following Mauritania's withdrawal. A guerrilla war with the
Polisario Front contesting Rabat's sovereignty ended in a 1991
UN-brokered cease-fire; a UN-organized referendum on final status
has been repeatedly postponed.
Geography Western Sahara
Location:
Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between
Mauritania and Morocco
Geographic coordinates:
24 30 N, 13 00 W
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 266,000 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 266,000 sq km
Area - comparative:
about the size of Colorado
Land boundaries: total: 2,046 km border countries: Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km
Coastline:
1,110 km
Maritime claims:
contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue
Climate:
hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce
fog and heavy dew
Terrain:
mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces
rising to small mountains in south and northeast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Sebjet Tah -55 m
highest point: unnamed location 463 m
Natural resources:
phosphates, iron ore
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
NA sq km
Natural hazards:
hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind can occur during winter and
spring; widespread harmattan haze exists 60% of time, often severely
restricting visibility
Environment - current issues:
sparse water and lack of arable land
Environment - international agreements: party to: none of the selected agreements signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: the waters off the coast are particularly rich fishing areas
People Western Sahara
Population: 261,794 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: NA% 15-64 years: NA% 65 years and over: NA% (2003 est.)
Population growth rate:
NA% (2003 est.)
Birth rate:
NA births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate:
NA deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Sex ratio:
NA (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: NA%
male: NA%
female: NA%
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: NA years
male: NA years
female: NA years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate:
NA children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s)
adjective: Sahrawian, Sahraouian
Ethnic groups:
Arab, Berber
Religions:
Muslim
Languages:
Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic
Literacy: definition: NA total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%
Government Western Sahara
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Western Sahara
former: Spanish Sahara
Government type:
legal status of territory and issue of sovereignty unresolved;
territory contested by Morocco and Polisario Front (Popular Front
for the Liberation of the Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro), which in
February 1976 formally proclaimed a government-in-exile of the
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR),led by President Mohamed
ABDELAZIZ; territory partitioned between Morocco and Mauritania in
April 1976, with Morocco acquiring northern two-thirds; Mauritania,
under pressure from Polisario guerrillas, abandoned all claims to
its portion in August 1979; Morocco moved to occupy that sector
shortly thereafter and has since asserted administrative control;
the Polisario's government-in-exile was seated as an OAU member in
1984; guerrilla activities continued sporadically, until a
UN-monitored cease-fire was implemented 6 September 1991
Capital:
none
Administrative divisions:
none (under de facto control of Morocco)
Suffrage:
none; a UN-sponsored voter identification campaign not yet completed
Executive branch:
none
Political pressure groups and leaders:
none
International organization participation:
none
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none
Economy Western Sahara
Economy - overview:
Western Sahara depends on pastoral nomadism, fishing, and phosphate
mining as the principal sources of income for the population. The
territory lacks sufficient rainfall for sustainable agricultural
production, and most of the food for the urban population must be
imported. All trade and other economic activities are controlled by
the Moroccan Government. Moroccan energy interests in 2001 signed
contracts to explore for oil off the coast of Western Sahara, which
has angered the Polisario. Incomes and standards of living in
Western Sahara are substantially below the Moroccan level.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $NA
GDP - real growth rate:
NA%
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $NA
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: 40% (1996 est.)
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
NA%
Labor force:
12,000
Labor force - by occupation:
animal husbandry and subsistence farming 50%
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget: revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Industries:
phosphate mining, handicrafts
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
90 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:
83.7 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
1,800 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
NA (2001)
Oil - imports:
NA (2001)
Agriculture - products:
fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep,
goats (kept by nomads)
Exports:
$NA
Exports - commodities:
phosphates 62%
Exports - partners:
Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners
are included in overall Moroccan accounts
Imports:
$NA
Imports - commodities:
fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners
are included in overall Moroccan accounts (2000)
Debt - external:
$NA
Economic aid - recipient:
$NA
Currency:
Moroccan dirham (MAD)
Currency code:
MAD
Exchange rates:
Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 11.584 (2002), 11.303 (2001),
10.626 (2000), 9.804 (1999), 9.604 (1998), 9.527 (1997)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications Western Sahara
Telephones - main lines in use:
about 2,000 (1999 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
0 (1999)
Telephone system:
general assessment: sparse and limited system
domestic: NA
international: tied into Morocco's system by microwave radio relay,
tropospheric scatter, and satellite; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) linked to Rabat, Morocco
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios:
56,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
NA
Televisions:
6,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.eh
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)
Internet users:
NA
Transportation Western Sahara
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 6,200 km paved: 1,350 km unpaved: 4,850 km (1991 est)
Waterways:
none
Ports and harbors:
Ad Dakhla, Cabo Bojador, Laayoune (El Aaiun)
Airports:
11 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 8
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 3 (2002)
Military Western Sahara
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA%
Transnational Issues Western Sahara
Disputes - international:
Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, but sovereignty
remains unresolved; UN-administered cease-fire has remained in
effect since September 1991, but attempts to hold a referendum have
failed and parties have rejected other proposals; Mauritanian claims
to Western Sahara have been dormant in recent years; Morocco allowed
Spanish fishermen to fish temporarily off the coast of Western
Sahara after an oil spill soiled Spanish fishing grounds
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
@World
Introduction World
Background:
Globally, the 20th century was marked by: (a) two devastating world
wars; (b) the Great Depression of the 1930s; (c) the end of vast
colonial empires; (d) rapid advances in science and technology, from
the first airplane flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina (US) to the
landing on the moon; (e) the Cold War between the Western alliance
and the Warsaw Pact nations; (f) a sharp rise in living standards in
North America, Europe, and Japan; (g) increased concerns about the
environment, including loss of forests, shortages of energy and
water, the decline in biological diversity, and air pollution; (h)
the onset of the AIDS epidemic; and (i) the ultimate emergence of
the US as the only world superpower. The planet's population
continues to explode: from 1 billion in 1820, to 2 billion in 1930,
3 billion in 1960, 4 billion in 1974, 5 billion in 1988, and 6
billion in 2000. For the 21st century, the continued exponential
growth in science and technology raises both hopes (e.g., advances
in medicine) and fears (e.g., development of even more lethal
weapons of war).
Geography World
Map references:
Physical Map of the World, Political Map of the World, Standard
Time Zones of the World
Area:
total: 510.072 million sq km
land: 148.94 million sq km
water: 361.132 million sq km
note: 70.8% of the world's surface is water, 29.2% is land
Area - comparative:
land area about 16 times the size of the US
Land boundaries:
the land boundaries in the world total 250,472 km (not counting
shared boundaries twice)
Coastline:
356,000 km
Maritime claims:
a variety of situations exist, but in general, most countries make
the following claims: contiguous zone - 24 NM; continental shelf -
200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation, or 200 NM or to the
edge of the continental margin; exclusive fishing zone - 200 NM;
exclusive economic zone - 200 NM; territorial sea - 12 NM; boundary
situations with neighboring states prevent many countries from
extending their fishing or economic zones to a full 200 NM; 43
nations and other areas that are landlocked include Afghanistan,
Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bhutan, Bolivia,
Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad,
Czech Republic, Ethiopia, Holy See (Vatican City), Hungary,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg,
Malawi, Mali, Moldova, Mongolia, Nepal, Niger, Paraguay, Rwanda, San
Marino, Slovakia, Swaziland, Switzerland, Tajikistan, The Former
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan,
West Bank, Zambia, Zimbabwe; two of these, Liechtenstein and
Uzbekistan, are doubly landlocked
Climate:
two large areas of polar climates separated by two rather narrow
temperate zones form a wide equatorial band of tropical to
subtropical climates
Terrain:
the greatest ocean depth is the Mariana Trench at 10,924 m in the
Pacific Ocean
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Bentley Subglacial Trench -2,540 m
note: in the oceanic realm, Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench is
the lowest point, lying -10,924 m below the surface of the Pacific
Ocean
highest point: Mount Everest 8,850 m (1999 est.)
Natural resources:
the rapid depletion of nonrenewable mineral resources, the
depletion of forest areas and wetlands, the extinction of animal and
plant species, and the deterioration in air and water quality
(especially in Eastern Europe, the former USSR, and China) pose
serious long-term problems that governments and peoples are only
beginning to address
Land use: arable land: 10.58% permanent crops: 1% other: 88.42% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
2,714,320 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
large areas subject to severe weather (tropical cyclones), natural
disasters (earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions)
Environment - current issues: large areas subject to overpopulation, industrial disasters, pollution (air, water, acid rain, toxic substances), loss of vegetation (overgrazing, deforestation, desertification), loss of wildlife, soil degradation, soil depletion, erosion
Geography - note:
the world is now thought to be about 4.55 billion years old, just
about one-third of the 13-billion-year age estimated for the universe
People World
Population:
6,302,309,691 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 29.2% (male 932,581,592; female 885,688,851)
15-64 years: 63.7% (male 2,009,997,089; female 1,964,938,201)
65 years and over: 7.1% (male 193,549,180; female 247,067,032) (2003
est.)
note: some countries do not maintain age structure information, thus
a slight discrepancy exists between the total world population and
the total for world age structure
Population growth rate:
1.17% (2003 est.)
Birth rate:
20.43 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate:
8.83 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 51.38 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 53.81 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 48.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 63.95 years
male: 62 years
female: 70.23 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.65 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Religions:
Christians 32.79% (of which Roman Catholics 17.33%, Protestants
5.62%, Orthodox 3.51%, Anglicans 1.31%), Muslims 19.6%, Hindus
13.31%, Buddhists 5.88%, Sikhs 0.38%, Jews 0.24%, other religions
12.83%, non-religious 12.53%, atheists 2.44% (2001 est.)
Languages:
Chinese, Mandarin 14.37%, Hindi 6.02%, English 5.61%, Spanish
5.59%, Bengali 3.4%, Portuguese 2.63%, Russian 2.75%, Japanese
2.06%, German, Standard 1.64%, Korean 1.28%, French 1.27% (2000 est.)
note: percents are for "first language" speakers only
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 77%
male: 83%
female: 71% (1995 est.)
Government World
Administrative divisions:
268 nations, dependent areas, other, and miscellaneous entries
Legal system:
all members of the UN plus Switzerland are parties to the statute
that established the International Court of Justice (ICJ) or World
Court
Economy World
Economy - overview: Growth in global output (gross world product, GWP) fell from 4.8% in 2000 to 2.2% in 2001 and 2.7% in 2002. The causes: sluggishness in the US economy (21% of GWP) and in the 15 EU economies (19% of GWP); continued stagnation in the Japanese economy (7.2% of GWP); and spillover effects in the less developed regions of the world. China, the second-largest economy in the world (12% of GWP), proved an exception, continuing its rapid annual growth, officially announced as 8% but estimated by many observers as perhaps two percentage points lower. Russia (2.6% of GWP), with 4% growth, continued to make uneven progress, its GDP per capita still only one-third that of the leading industrial nations. The other 14 successor nations of the USSR and the other old Warsaw Pact nations again experienced widely divergent growth rates; the three Baltic nations continued as strong performers, in the 5% range of growth. The developing nations also varied in their growth results, with many countries facing population increases that erode gains in output. Externally, the nation-state, as a bedrock economic-political institution, is steadily losing control over international flows of people, goods, funds, and technology. Internally, the central government often finds its control over resources slipping as separatist regional movements - typically based on ethnicity - gain momentum, e.g., in many of the successor states of the former Soviet Union, in the former Yugoslavia, in India, in Indonesia, and in Canada. Externally, the central government is losing decision-making powers to international bodies. In Western Europe, governments face the difficult political problem of channeling resources away from welfare programs in order to increase investment and strengthen incentives to seek employment. The addition of 80 million people each year to an already overcrowded globe is exacerbating the problems of pollution, desertification, underemployment, epidemics, and famine. Because of their own internal problems and priorities, the industrialized countries devote insufficient resources to deal effectively with the poorer areas of the world, which, at least from the economic point of view, are becoming further marginalized. The introduction of the euro as the common currency of much of Western Europe in January 1999, while paving the way for an integrated economic powerhouse, poses economic risks because of varying levels of income and cultural and political differences among the participating nations. The terrorist attacks on the US on 11 September 2001 accentuate a further growing risk to global prosperity, illustrated, for example, by the reallocation of resources away from investment to anti-terrorist programs. The opening of war in March 2003 between a US-led coalition and Iraq added new uncertainties to global economic prospects. (For specific economic developments in each country of the world in 2002, see the individual country entries.)
GDP:
GWP (gross world product) - purchasing power parity - $49 trillion
(2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2.7% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $7,900 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 4%
industry: 32%
services: 64% (2002 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
developed countries 1% to 4% typically; developing countries 5% to
60% typically; national inflation rates vary widely in individual
cases, from declining prices in Japan to hyperinflation in several
Third World countries
Labor force:
NA
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%
Unemployment rate:
30% combined unemployment and underemployment in many
non-industrialized countries; developed countries typically 4%-12%
unemployment
Industries:
dominated by the onrush of technology, especially in computers,
robotics, telecommunications, and medicines and medical equipment;
most of these advances take place in OECD nations; only a small
portion of non-OECD countries have succeeded in rapidly adjusting to
these technological forces; the accelerated development of new
industrial (and agricultural) technology is complicating already
grim environmental problems
Industrial production growth rate:
3% (2002 est.)
Electricity - production:
14.85 trillion kWh (2001 est.)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: NA% hydro: NA% other: NA% nuclear: NA%
Electricity - consumption:
13.93 trillion kWh (2001 est.)
Oil - production:
75.46 million bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
76.21 million bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - proved reserves:
1.025 trillion bbl (37257)
Natural gas - production:
2.569 trillion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
2.556 trillion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
703.9 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
697.5 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
161.2 trillion cu m (37257)
Exports:
$6.6 trillion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities:
the whole range of industrial and agricultural goods and services
Exports - partners:
US 17.4%, Germany 7.6%, UK 5.4%, France 5.1%, Japan 4.8%, China 4%
(2002)
Imports:
$6.6 trillion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities:
the whole range of industrial and agricultural goods and services
Imports - partners:
US 11.2%, Germany 9.2%, China 7%, Japan 6.8%, France 4.7%, UK 4%
(2002)
Debt - external:
$2 trillion for less developed countries (2002 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
official development assistance (ODA) $50 billion
Communications World
Telephones - main lines in use:
NA
Telephones - mobile cellular:
NA
Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: NA
Radio broadcast stations:
AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA
Radios:
NA
Television broadcast stations:
NA
Televisions:
NA
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
10,350 (2000 est.)
Internet users:
604,111,719 (2002 est.)
Transportation World
Railways:
total: 1,122,650 km includes about 190,000 to 195,000 km of
electrified routes of which 147,760 km are in Europe, 24,509 km in
the Far East, 11,050 km in Africa, 4,223 km in South America, and
4,160 km in North America; note - fastest speed in daily service is
300 km/hr attained by France's Societe Nationale des Chemins-de-Fer
Francais (SNCF) Le Train a Grande Vitesse (TGV) - Atlantique line
broad gauge: 251,153 km
narrow gauge: 239,430 km
standard gauge: 710,754 km
Highways:
total: NA km
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km
Ports and harbors:
Chiba, Houston, Kawasaki, Kobe, Marseille, Mina' al Ahmadi
(Kuwait), New Orleans, New York, Rotterdam, Yokohama
Military World
Military expenditures - dollar figure: aggregate real expenditure on arms worldwide in 1999 remained at approximately the 1998 level, about three-quarters of a trillion dollars (1999 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: roughly 2% of gross world product (1999 est.)
Transnational Issues World
Disputes - international:
Globally, there are over 250,000 km of international land
boundaries that separate the world's 192 independent states, along
with 70 dependencies, areas of special sovereignty, and other
miscellaneous entities. Maritime states have claimed limits and have
so far established over 130 maritime boundaries and joint
development zones to allocate ocean resources and to provide for
their national security at sea. On land, ethnicity, culture, race,
religion, and language have divided states into separate political
entities as much as history, physical terrain, political fiat, or
conquest, resulting in sometimes arbitrary and imposed boundaries.
All of these factors have contributed to a wide array of boundary,
borderland, and territorial disagreements that vary in intensity
from unresolved or dormant to outright war. Territorial disputes may
evolve from historical and/or cultural animosities, or they may be
brought on by resource competition. Ethnic clashes continue to be
responsible for territorial fragmentation around the world.
Undemarcated, indefinite, porous, and unmanaged boundaries encourage
illegal cross-border activities, uncontrolled migration, and
political confrontation over boundary allocations. Other sources of
contention include the use of water and mineral (especially
petroleum) resources, fisheries, dams, and nuclear power plants.
Many islands or island groups are also disputed, including those at
sea and in streams. Nonetheless, many nations are actively
cooperating to clarify, delineate, and demarcate their international
borders. The tragic aspect of international discord is the impact on
the sustenance and welfare of populations caught in the conflict. It
is frequently left to members of the world community to cope with
enormous refugee situations, and the resultant hunger, disease, and
impoverishment that they create.
Illicit drugs:
cocaine: worldwide, coca is grown on an estimated 205,450 hectares
- almost exclusively in South America with 70% in Colombia;
potential cocaine production during 2002 is estimated at 938 metric
tons (or 1,200 metric tons of export quality cocaine at an average
of 78% purity); coca eradication programs continue in Bolivia,
Colombia, and Peru, and 292 metric tons of export quality cocaine
are documented to have been seized in 2002; consumption of export
quality cocaine is estimated to have been 875 metric tons
opiates: cultivation of opium poppy occurred on an estimated 141,213
hectares in 2002 and potentially produced 2,183 metric tons of opium
- which conceivably could be converted to the equivalent of 238
metric tons of pure heroin; opium eradication programs have been
undertaken in Afghanistan, Burma, Colombia, Mexico, Pakistan,
Thailand, and Vietnam, and the annual average for opiates seized
worldwide over the past five years (1998-2002) has been 45 metric
tons of pure heroin equivalent; estimates for average annual
consumption over this time period are 315 metric tons pure heroin
equivalent
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
@Yemen
Introduction Yemen
Background:
North Yemen became independent of the Ottoman Empire in 1918. The
British, who had set up a protectorate area around the southern port
of Aden in the 19th century, withdrew in 1967 from what became South
Yemen. Three years later, the southern government adopted a Marxist
orientation. The massive exodus of hundreds of thousands of Yemenis
from the south to the north contributed to two decades of hostility
between the states. The two countries were formally unified as the
Republic of Yemen in 1990. A southern secessionist movement in 1994
was quickly subdued. In 2000, Saudi Arabia and Yemen agreed to a
delimitation of their border.
Geography Yemen
Location:
Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Red Sea,
between Oman and Saudi Arabia
Geographic coordinates:
15 00 N, 48 00 E
Map references:
Middle East
Area:
total: 527,970 sq km
land: 527,970 sq km
note: includes Perim, Socotra, the former Yemen Arab Republic (YAR
or North Yemen), and the former People's Democratic Republic of
Yemen (PDRY or South Yemen)
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than twice the size of Wyoming
Land boundaries: total: 1,746 km border countries: Oman 288 km, Saudi Arabia 1,458 km
Coastline:
1,906 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
Climate:
mostly desert; hot and humid along west coast; temperate in western
mountains affected by seasonal monsoon; extraordinarily hot, dry,
harsh desert in east
Terrain:
narrow coastal plain backed by flat-topped hills and rugged
mountains; dissected upland desert plains in center slope into the
desert interior of the Arabian Peninsula
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Arabian Sea 0 m
highest point: Jabal an Nabi Shu'ayb 3,760 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, fish, rock salt, marble, small deposits of coal, gold,
lead, nickel, and copper, fertile soil in west
Land use: arable land: 2.75% permanent crops: 0.21% other: 97.04% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
4,900 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
sandstorms and dust storms in summer
Environment - current issues: very limited natural fresh water resources; inadequate supplies of potable water; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Nuclear Test Ban
Geography - note:
strategic location on Bab el Mandeb, the strait linking the Red Sea
and the Gulf of Aden, one of world's most active shipping lanes
People Yemen
Population:
19,349,881 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 46.8% (male 4,606,110; female 4,446,229)
15-64 years: 50.4% (male 4,972,946; female 4,778,034)
65 years and over: 2.8% (male 272,921; female 273,641) (2003 est.)
Median age:
total: 16.4 years
male: 16.4 years
female: 16.4 years (2002)
Population growth rate:
3.42% (2003 est.)
Birth rate:
43.23 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate:
9.04 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 65.02 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 59.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 69.98 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 60.97 years
male: 59.16 years
female: 62.87 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.82 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
9,900 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality: noun: Yemeni(s) adjective: Yemeni
Ethnic groups:
predominantly Arab; but also Afro-Arab, South Asians, Europeans
Religions:
Muslim including Shaf'i (Sunni) and Zaydi (Shi'a), small numbers of
Jewish, Christian, and Hindu
Languages:
Arabic
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 50.2%
male: 70.5%
female: 30% (2003 est.)
Government Yemen
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Yemen
conventional short form: Yemen
local short form: Al Yaman
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Yamaniyah
Government type:
republic
Capital:
Sanaa
Administrative divisions:
19 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Abyan, 'Adan, Ad
Dali', Al Bayda', Al Hudaydah, Al Jawf, Al Mahrah, Al Mahwit,
'Amran, Dhamar, Hadramawt, Hajjah, Ibb, Lahij, Ma'rib, Sa'dah,
San'a', Shabwah, Ta'izz
note: there may be one additional governorate of the capital city of
Sanaa
Independence:
22 May 1990, Republic of Yemen was established with the merger of
the Yemen Arab Republic [Yemen (Sanaa) or North Yemen] and the
Marxist-dominated People's Democratic Republic of Yemen [Yemen
(Aden) or South Yemen]; previously North Yemen had become
independent on NA November 1918 (from the Ottoman Empire) and South
Yemen had become independent on 30 November 1967 (from the UK)
National holiday:
Unification Day, 22 May (1990)
Constitution:
16 May 1991; amended 29 September 1994 and February 2001
Legal system:
based on Islamic law, Turkish law, English common law, and local
tribal customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Field Marshall Ali Abdallah SALIH (since
22 May 1990, the former president of North Yemen, assumed office
upon the merger of North and South Yemen); Vice President Maj. Gen.
Abd al-Rab Mansur al-HADI (since 3 October 1994)
head of government: Prime Minister Abd al-Qadir BA JAMAL (since 4
April 2001)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
advice of the prime minister
election results: Ali Abdallah SALIH elected president; percent of
vote - Ali Abdallah SALIH 96.3%, Najib Qahtan AL-SHAABI 3.7%
elections: president elected by direct, popular vote for a
seven-year term (recently extended from a five-year term by
constitutional amendment); election last held 23 September 1999
(next to be held NA 2006); vice president appointed by the
president; prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by
the president
Legislative branch:
a new constitutional amendment ratified on 20 February 2001 created
a bicameral legislature consisting of a Shura Council (111 seats;
members appointed by the president) and a House of Representatives
(301 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
GPC 238, Islah 46, YSP 8, Nasserite Unionist Party 3, National Arab
Socialist Baath Party 2, independents 4
elections: last held 27 April 2003 (next to be held NA April 2009)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
there are over 12 political parties active in Yemen, some of the
more prominent are: General People's Congress or GPC [President Ali
Abdallah SALIH]; Islamic Reform Grouping or Islah [Shaykh Abdallah
bin Husayn al-AHMAR]; National Arab Socialist Baath Party [Dr.
Qassim SALAAM]; Nasserite Unionist Party [Abdel Malik al-MAKHLAFI];
Yemeni Socialist Party or YSP [Ali Salih MUQBIL]
note: President SALIH's General People's Congress or GPC won a
landslide victory in the April 1997 legislative election and no
longer governs in coalition with Shaykh Abdallah bin Husayn
al-AHMAR's Islamic Reform Grouping or Islah - the two parties had
been in coalition since the end of the civil war in 1994; the YSP, a
loyal opposition party, boycotted the April 1997 legislative
election, but announced that it would participate in Yemen's first
local elections, held in February 2001; these local elections aim to
decentralize political power and are a key element of the
government's political reform program
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
ACC, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
(signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAS (observer),
OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Abd al-Wahhab Abdallah al-HAJRI FAX: (202) 337-2017 telephone: (202) 965-4760 chancery: Suite 705, 2600 Virginia Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Edmund J. HULL
embassy: Dhahar Himyar Zone, Sheraton Hotel District, Sanaa
mailing address: P. O. Box 22347, Sanaa
telephone: (1) 303-161
FAX: (1) 303-182
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black;
similar to the flag of Syria, which has two green stars and of Iraq
which has three green stars (plus an Arabic inscription) in a
horizontal line centered in the white band; also similar to the flag
of Egypt, which has a heraldic eagle centered in the white band
Economy Yemen
Economy - overview:
Yemen, one of the poorest countries in the Arab world, reported
strong growth in the mid-1990s with the onset of oil production, but
has been harmed by periodic declines in oil prices. Yemen has
embarked on an IMF-supported structural adjustment program designed
to modernize and streamline the economy, which has led to
substantial foreign debt relief and restructuring. International
donors, meeting in Paris in October 2002, agreed on a further $2.3
billion economic support package. Yemen has worked to maintain tight
control over spending and implement additional components of the IMF
program. A high population growth rate and internal political
dissension complicate the government's task.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $15.07 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
4.1% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $800 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 22%
industry: 38%
services: 40% (2001)
Population below poverty line:
NA
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 3%
highest 10%: 25.9% (1998)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
33.4 (1998)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
12.2% (2002 est.)
Labor force:
NA
Labor force - by occupation: most people are employed in agriculture and herding; services, construction, industry, and commerce account for less than one-fourth of the labor force
Unemployment rate:
30% (1995 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $3 billion
expenditures: $3.1 billion, including capital expenditures of NA
(2001 est.)
Industries:
crude oil production and petroleum refining; small-scale production
of cotton textiles and leather goods; food processing; handicrafts;
small aluminum products factory; cement
Industrial production growth rate:
4% (2002 est.)
Electricity - production:
3.01 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:
2.8 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
438,500 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
74,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
NA (2001)
Oil - imports:
NA (2001)
Oil - proved reserves:
3.2 billion bbl (37257)
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
480 billion cu m (37257)
Agriculture - products:
grain, fruits, vegetables, pulses, qat (mildly narcotic shrub),
coffee, cotton; dairy products, livestock (sheep, goats, cattle,
camels), poultry; fish
Exports:
$3.4 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities:
crude oil, coffee, dried and salted fish
Exports - partners:
India 21.1%, Thailand 16.9%, South Korea 11.2%, China 11.1%,
Malaysia 7.7%, US 6.7%, Singapore 4% (2002)
Imports:
$2.9 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities:
food and live animals, machinery and equipment, chemicals
Imports - partners:
US 10.4%, Saudi Arabia 9.5%, China 8.7%, UAE 6.9%, Russia 5.8%,
France 4.7% (2002)
Debt - external:
$6.2 billion (2002)
Economic aid - recipient:
$2.3 billion to be disbursed 2003-07 (2003-07 disbursements)
Currency:
Yemeni rial (YER)
Currency code:
YER
Exchange rates:
Yemeni rials per US dollar - NA (2002), 168.67 (2001), 161.72
(2000), 155.72 (1999), 135.88 (1998)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications Yemen
Telephones - main lines in use:
291,359 (1999)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
32,042 (2000)
Telephone system:
general assessment: since unification in 1990, efforts have been
made to create a national telecommunications network
domestic: the national network consists of microwave radio relay,
cable, tropospheric scatter, and GSM cellular mobile telephone
systems
international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Indian Ocean
and 1 Atlantic Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), and 2
Arabsat; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and Djibouti
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 6, FM 1, shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios:
1.05 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
7 (plus several low-power repeaters) (1997)
Televisions:
470,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.ye
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)
Internet users:
17,000 (2002)
Transportation Yemen
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 67,000 km paved: 7,705 km unpaved: 59,295 km (1999 est.)
Waterways:
none
Pipelines:
gas 88 km; oil 1,174 km (2003)
Ports and harbors:
Aden, Al Hudaydah, Al Mukalla, As Salif, Ras Issa, Mocha, Nishtun
Merchant marine:
total: 5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 18,623 GRT/23,752 DWT
ships by type: cargo 1, petroleum tanker 3, roll on/roll off 1
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Hong Kong 2 (2002 est.)
Airports:
44 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 16
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 28
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 4 (2002)
Military Yemen
Military branches:
Army (includes Special Forces, established in 1999), Navy, Air
Force, Air Defense Forces, Republican Guard
Military manpower - military age:
14 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 4,443,312 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 2,493,612 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 249,292 (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$482.5 million (FY01)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
5.2% (FY01)
Military - note:
establishment of a Coast Guard, scheduled for May 2001, has been
delayed
Transnational Issues Yemen
Disputes - international:
Eritrea protests Yemeni fishing around the Hanish islands awarded
to Eritrea by the ICJ in 1999; nomadic groups in border region with
Saudi Arabia resist demarcation of boundary
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
@Zambia
Introduction Zambia
Background:
The territory of Northern Rhodesia was administered by the South
Africa Company from 1891 until it was taken over by the UK in 1923.
During the 1920s and 1930s, advances in mining spurred development
and immigration. The name was changed to Zambia upon independence in
1964. In the 1980s and 1990s, declining copper prices and a
prolonged drought hurt the economy. Elections in 1991 brought an end
to one-party rule, but the subsequent vote in 1996 saw blatant
harassment of opposition parties. The election in 2001 was marked by
administrative problems with three parties filing a legal petition
challenging the election of ruling party candidate Levy MWANAWASA.
The new president launched a far-reaching anti-corruption campaign
in 2002, which resulted in the 2003 arrest of the previous president
Frederick CHILUBA and many of his supporters. Opposition parties
currently hold a majority of seats in the National Assembly.
Geography Zambia
Location:
Southern Africa, east of Angola
Geographic coordinates:
15 00 S, 30 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 752,614 sq km
water: 11,890 sq km
land: 740,724 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Texas
Land boundaries:
total: 5,664 km
border countries: Angola 1,110 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo
1,930 km, Malawi 837 km, Mozambique 419 km, Namibia 233 km, Tanzania
338 km, Zimbabwe 797 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
tropical; modified by altitude; rainy season (October to April)
Terrain:
mostly high plateau with some hills and mountains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Zambezi river 329 m
highest point: unnamed location in Mafinga Hills 2,301 m
Natural resources:
copper, cobalt, zinc, lead, coal, emeralds, gold, silver, uranium,
hydropower
Land use: arable land: 7.08% permanent crops: 0.03% other: 92.89% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
460 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
periodic drought, tropical storms (November to April)
Environment - current issues:
air pollution and resulting acid rain in the mineral extraction and
refining region; chemical runoff into watersheds; poaching seriously
threatens rhinoceros, elephant, antelope, and large cat populations;
deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; lack of adequate water
treatment presents human health risks
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone
Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography - note:
landlocked; the Zambezi forms a natural riverine boundary with
Zimbabwe
People Zambia
Population:
10,307,333
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2003 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 46.3% (male 2,396,313; female 2,378,567)
15-64 years: 50.9% (male 2,626,961; female 2,621,818)
65 years and over: 2.8% (male 131,196; female 152,478) (2003 est.)
Median age:
total: 16.5 years
male: 16.4 years
female: 16.6 years (2002)
Population growth rate:
1.52% (2003 est.)
Birth rate:
39.53 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate:
24.3 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 99.29 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 91.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 106.58 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 35.25 years
male: 35.25 years
female: 35.25 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate:
5.25 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
21.5% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
1.2 million (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
120,000 (2001 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Zambian(s)
adjective: Zambian
Ethnic groups:
African 98.7%, European 1.1%, other 0.2%
Religions:
Christian 50%-75%, Muslim and Hindu 24%-49%, indigenous beliefs 1%
Languages:
English (official), major vernaculars - Bemba, Kaonda, Lozi, Lunda,
Luvale, Nyanja, Tonga, and about 70 other indigenous languages
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write English
total population: 80.6%
male: 86.8%
female: 74.8% (2003 est.)
Government Zambia
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Zambia
conventional short form: Zambia
former: Northern Rhodesia
Government type:
republic
Capital:
Lusaka
Administrative divisions:
9 provinces; Central, Copperbelt, Eastern, Luapula, Lusaka,
Northern, North-Western, Southern, Western
Independence:
24 October 1964 (from UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 24 October (1964)
Constitution:
2 August 1991
Legal system:
based on English common law and customary law; judicial review of
legislative acts in an ad hoc constitutional council; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Levy MWANAWASA (since 2 January 2002);
Vice President Nevers MUMBA (since May 2003); note - the president
is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Levy MWANAWASA (since 2 January 2002);
Vice President Nevers MUMBA (since May 2003); note - the president
is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members
of the National Assembly
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 27 December 2001 (next to be held NA December
2006); vice president appointed by the president
election results: Levy MWANAWASA elected president; percent of vote
- Levy MWANAWASA 29%, Anderson MAZOKA 27%, Christon TEMBO 13%,
Tilyenji KAUNDA 10%, Godfrey MIYANDA 8%, Benjamin MWILA 5%, Michael
SATA 3%, other 5%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (150 seats; members are elected by
popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 27 December 2001 (next to be held NA December
2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - MMD 45.9%, UPND 32.4%,
UNIP 8.8%, FDD 8.1%, HP 2.7%, PF 0.7%, ZRP 0.7%, independents 0.7%;
seats by party - MMD 68, UPND 48, UNIP 13, FDD 12, HP 4, PF 1, ZRP
1, independents 1; seats not determined 2
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (the final court of appeal; justices are appointed by
the president); High Court (has unlimited jurisdiction to hear civil
and criminal cases)
Political parties and leaders:
Agenda for Zambia or AZ [Inonge MBIKUSITA-LEWANIKA]; Forum for
Democracy and Development or FDD [Christon TEMBO]; Heritage Party or
HP [Godfrey MIYANDA]; Liberal Progressive Front or LPF [Roger
CHONGWE, president]; Movement for Multiparty Democracy or MMD [Levy
MWANAWASA, acting president]; National Leadership for Development or
NLD [Yobert SHAMAPANDE]; National Party or NP [Dr. Sam CHIPUNGU];
Patriotic Front or PF [Michael SATA]; Zambian Republican Party or
ZRP [Benjamin MWILA]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Gwendoline
KONIE]; United National Independence Party or UNIP [Francis NKHOMA,
president]; United Party for National Development or UPND [Anderson
MAZOKA]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, C, ECA, FAO, G-19, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU,
MONUC, NAM, OAU, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Inonge MBIKUSITA-LEWANIKA
FAX: (202) 332-0826
telephone: (202) 265-9717 through 9719
chancery: 2419 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Martin George BRENNAN embassy: corner of Independence and United Nations Avenues mailing address: P. O. Box 31617, Lusaka telephone: (1) 250-955 FAX: (1) 252-225
Flag description:
green with a panel of three vertical bands of red (hoist side),
black, and orange below a soaring orange eagle, on the outer edge of
the flag
Economy Zambia
Economy - overview:
Despite progress in privatization and budgetary reform, Zambia's
economic growth remains below the 5% to 7% necessary to reduce
poverty significantly. Privatization of government-owned copper
mines relieved the government from covering mammoth losses generated
by the industry and greatly improved the chances for copper mining
to return to profitability and spur economic growth. However, low
mineral prices have slowed the benefits of privatizing the mines and
have reduced incentives for further private investment in the
sector. Cooperation continues with international bodies on programs
to reduce poverty.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $8.24 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2.3% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $800 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 22% industry: 26% services: 52% (2001)
Population below poverty line: 86% (1993)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.1% highest 10%: 41% (1998)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
52.6 (1998)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
21% (2002 est.)
Labor force:
4.29 million (2000)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 85%, industry 6%, services 9%
Unemployment rate:
50% (2000 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $1.2 billion
expenditures: $1.25 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2001 est.)
Industries:
copper mining and processing, construction, foodstuffs, beverages,
chemicals, textiles, fertilizer, horticulture
Industrial production growth rate:
5.1% (2001 est.)
Electricity - production:
7.751 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 0.5% hydro: 99.5% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:
5.458 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
1.75 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
11,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
NA (2001)
Oil - imports:
NA (2001)
Agriculture - products:
corn, sorghum, rice, peanuts, sunflower seed, vegetables, flowers,
tobacco, cotton, sugarcane, cassava (tapioca); cattle, goats, pigs,
poultry, milk, eggs, hides; coffee
Exports:
$709 million f.o.b. (2001)
Exports - commodities:
copper 55%, cobalt, electricity, tobacco, flowers, cotton
Exports - partners:
Malawi 10.3%, Thailand 9.2%, Japan 9.1%, Saint Pierre and Miquelon
9.1%, Taiwan 8.5%, South Africa 7.8%, Egypt 6.4%, China 6.3%,
Netherlands 5.5%, Tanzania 4.5% (2002)
Imports:
$1.123 billion f.o.b. (2001)
Imports - commodities:
machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products,
electricity, fertilizer; foodstuffs, clothing
Imports - partners:
South Africa 64.4%, US 3.7%, China 3.6% (2002)
Debt - external:
$5.8 billion (2001)
Economic aid - recipient:
$651 million (2000 est.)
Currency:
Zambian kwacha (ZMK)
Currency code:
ZMK
Exchange rates:
Zambian kwacha per US dollar - NA (2002), 3,610.93 (2001), 3,110.84
(2000), 2,388.02 (1999), 1,862.07 (1998)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications Zambia
Telephones - main lines in use: 130,000 (including approximately 40,000 fixed telephones in wireless local loop connections) (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
90,000 (2002)
Telephone system:
general assessment: facilities are aging but still among the best
in Sub-Saharan Africa
domestic: high-capacity microwave radio relay connects most larger
towns and cities; several cellular telephone services in operation;
Internet service is widely available; very small aperture terminal
(VSAT) networks are operated by private firms
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean
and 1 Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 19, FM 5, shortwave 4 (2001)
Radios:
1.2 million (2001)
Television broadcast stations:
9 (2002)
Televisions:
277,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.zm
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
5 (2001)
Internet users:
25,000 (2002)
Transportation Zambia
Railways:
total: 2,173 km
narrow gauge: 2,173 km 1.067-m gauge
note: includes 891 km of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority
(TAZARA) (2002)
Highways: total: 66,781 km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km (1999 est.)
Waterways: 2,250 km note: includes Lake Tanganyika and the Zambezi and Luapula rivers
Pipelines:
oil 771 km (2003)
Ports and harbors:
Mpulungu
Airports:
109 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 11 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 98 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 63 under 914 m: 30 (2002)
Military Zambia
Military branches:
Army, Air Force, Police, paramilitary forces
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 2,418,776 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 1,279,846 (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$33.46 million (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
0.9% (FY02)
Transnational Issues Zambia
Disputes - international:
dormant dispute remains where Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and
Zimbabwe boundaries converge
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for moderate amounts of methaqualone, small
amounts of heroin, and cocaine bound for Southern Africa and
possibly Europe; a poorly developed financial infrastructure coupled
with a government commitment to combating money laundering make it
an unattractive venue for money launderers
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
@Zimbabwe
Introduction Zimbabwe
Background:
The UK annexed Southern Rhodesia from the South Africa Company in
1923. A 1961 constitution was formulated that favored whites in
power. In 1965 the government unilaterally declared its
independence, but the UK did not recognize the act and demanded more
complete voting rights for the black African majority in the country
(then called Rhodesia). UN sanctions and a guerrilla uprising
finally led to free elections in 1979 and independence (as Zimbabwe)
in 1980. Robert MUGABE, the nation's first prime minister, has been
the country's only ruler (as president since 1987) and has dominated
the country's political system since independence. His chaotic land
redistribution campaign begun in 2000 caused an exodus of white
farmers, crippled the economy, and ushered in widespread shortages
of basic commodities. Ignoring international condemnation, MUGABE
rigged the 2002 presidential election to ensure his reelection.
Opposition and labor groups launched general strikes in 2003 to
pressure MUGABE to retire early; security forces continued their
brutal repression of regime opponents.
Geography Zimbabwe
Location:
Southern Africa, between South Africa and Zambia
Geographic coordinates:
20 00 S, 30 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 390,580 sq km
water: 3,910 sq km
land: 386,670 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Montana
Land boundaries:
total: 3,066 km
border countries: Botswana 813 km, Mozambique 1,231 km, South Africa
225 km, Zambia 797 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
tropical; moderated by altitude; rainy season (November to March)
Terrain:
mostly high plateau with higher central plateau (high veld);
mountains in east
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: junction of the Runde and Save rivers 162 m
highest point: Inyangani 2,592 m
Natural resources:
coal, chromium ore, asbestos, gold, nickel, copper, iron ore,
vanadium, lithium, tin, platinum group metals
Land use: arable land: 8.4% permanent crops: 0.34% other: 91.26% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
1,170 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
recurring droughts; floods and severe storms are rare
Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; land degradation; air and water pollution; the black rhinoceros herd - once the largest concentration of the species in the world - has been significantly reduced by poaching; poor mining practices have led to toxic waste and heavy metal pollution
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
landlocked; the Zambezi forms a natural riverine boundary with
Zambia; in full flood (February-April) the massive Victoria Falls on
the river forms the world's largest curtain of falling water
People Zimbabwe
Population:
12,576,742
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2003 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 39.7% (male 2,517,608; female 2,471,342)
15-64 years: 56.8% (male 3,600,832; female 3,542,497)
65 years and over: 3.5% (male 224,631; female 219,832) (2003 est.)
Median age:
total: 18.9 years
female: 18.9 years (2002)
male: 18.9 years
Population growth rate:
0.83% (2003 est.)
Birth rate:
30.34 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate:
22.02 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate:
NEGL migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa
and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2003 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 66.47 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 63.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 69.17 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 39.01 years
male: 40.09 years
female: 37.89 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.66 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
33.7% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
2.3 million (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
200,000 (2001 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Zimbabwean(s)
adjective: Zimbabwean
Ethnic groups:
African 98% (Shona 82%, Ndebele 14%, other 2%), mixed and Asian 1%,
white less than 1%
Religions:
syncretic (part Christian, part indigenous beliefs) 50%, Christian
25%, indigenous beliefs 24%, Muslim and other 1%
Languages:
English (official), Shona, Sindebele (the language of the Ndebele,
sometimes called Ndebele), numerous but minor tribal dialects
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write English
total population: 90.7%
male: 94.2%
female: 87.2% (2003 est.)
Government Zimbabwe
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Zimbabwe
conventional short form: Zimbabwe
former: Southern Rhodesia, Rhodesia
Government type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
Harare
Administrative divisions:
8 provinces and 2 cities* with provincial status; Bulawayo*,
Harare*, Manicaland, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East,
Mashonaland West, Masvingo, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South,
Midlands
Independence:
18 April 1980 (from UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 18 April (1980)
Constitution:
21 December 1979
Legal system:
mixture of Roman-Dutch and English common law
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Executive President Robert Gabriel MUGABE (since 31
December 1987); Joseph MSIKA (since 23 December 1999); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: Executive President Robert Gabriel MUGABE (since
31 December 1987); Joseph MSIKA (since 23 December 1999); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president; responsible to the
House of Assembly
elections: presidential candidates nominated with a nomination paper
signed by at least 10 registered voters (at least one from each
province) and elected by popular vote; election last held 9-11 March
2002 (next to be held NA March 2008); co-vice presidents appointed
by the president
election results: Robert Gabriel MUGABE reelected president; percent
of vote - Robert Gabriel MUGABE 56.2%, Morgan TSVANGIRAI 41.9%
Legislative branch:
unicameral House of Assembly (150 seats - 120 elected by popular
vote for five-year terms, 12 nominated by the president, 10 occupied
by traditional chiefs chosen by their peers, and 8 occupied by
provincial governors appointed by the president)
elections: last held 24-25 June 2000 (next to be held NA 2005)
election results: percent of vote by party - ZANU-PF 48.6%, MDC
47.0%, other 4.4%; seats by party - ZANU-PF 62, MDC 57, ZANU-Ndonga 1
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court; High Court
Political parties and leaders:
Movement for Democratic Change or MDC [Morgan TSVANGIRAI]; National
Alliance for Good Governance or NAGG [Shakespeare MAYA]; United
Parties [Abel MUZOREWA]; Zimbabwe African National Union-Ndonga or
ZANU-Ndonga [Wilson KUMBULA]; Zimbabwe African National
Union-Patriotic Front or ZANU-PF [Robert Gabriel MUGABE]; Zimbabwe
African Peoples Union or ZAPU [Agrippa MADLELA]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
National Constitutional Assembly or NCA [Lovemore MADHUKU]; Crisis
in Zimbabwe Coalition [Brian KAGORO]; Zimbabwe Congress of Trade
Unions or ZCTU [Lovemore MATOMBO]
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, C, ECA, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
(signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UNMIK, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Simbi Veke MUBAKO
FAX: (202) 483-9326
telephone: (202) 332-7100
chancery: 1608 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph G. SULLIVAN embassy: 172 Herbert Chitepo Avenue, Harare mailing address: P. O. Box 3340, Harare telephone: (4) 250-593 and 250-594 FAX: (4) 796488
Flag description:
seven equal horizontal bands of green, yellow, red, black, red,
yellow, and green with a white isosceles triangle edged in black
with its base on the hoist side; a yellow Zimbabwe bird representing
the long history of the country is superimposed on a red
five-pointed star in the center of the triangle, which symbolizes
peace; green symbolizes agriculture, yellow - mineral wealth, red -
blood shed to achieve independence, and black stands for the native
people
Economy Zimbabwe
Economy - overview:
The government of Zimbabwe faces a wide variety of difficult
economic problems as it struggles with an unsustainable fiscal
deficit, an overvalued exchange rate, soaring inflation, and bare
shelves. Its 1998-2002 involvement in the war in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo, for example, drained hundreds of millions of
dollars from the economy. Badly needed support from the IMF has been
suspended because of the country's failure to meet budgetary goals.
Inflation rose from an annual rate of 32% in 1998 to 59% in 1999, to
60% in 2000, to over 100% by yearend 2001, to 228% in early 2003.
The government's land reform program, characterized by chaos and
violence, has nearly destroyed the commercial farming sector, the
traditional source of exports and foreign exchange and the provider
of 400,000 jobs.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $26.07 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-13% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $2,100 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 18% industry: 24% services: 58% (2001)
Population below poverty line: 70% (2002 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.97% highest 10%: 40.42% (1995)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
50.1 (1995)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
134.5% (2002 est.)
Labor force:
5.8 million (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 66%, services 24%, industry 10% (1996)
Unemployment rate:
70% (2002 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $2.5 billion
expenditures: $2.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2000)
Industries:
mining (coal, gold, copper, nickel, tin, clay, numerous metallic
and nonmetallic ores), steel, wood products, cement, chemicals,
fertilizer, clothing and footwear, foodstuffs, beverages
Industrial production growth rate:
-3.1% (2002 est.)
Electricity - production:
6.735 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 47% hydro: 53% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:
9.813 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
3.55 billion kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
23,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
NA (2001)
Oil - imports:
NA (2001)
Agriculture - products: corn, cotton, tobacco, wheat, coffee, sugarcane, peanuts; cattle, sheep, goats, pigs
Exports:
$1.57 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Exports - commodities:
tobacco, gold, ferroalloys, textiles/clothing
Exports - partners:
China 6%, South Africa 5.7%, Germany 5.4%, UK 4.8%, Japan 4.7%,
Netherlands 4.4%, US 4.1% (2002)
Imports:
$1.739 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, other manufactures, chemicals,
fuels
Imports - partners:
South Africa 47.7%, Congo, Democratic Republic of the 5.7%,
Mozambique 5.3% (2002)
Debt - external:
$3.9 billion (2002 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
$178 million (2000 est.)
Currency:
Zimbabwean dollar (ZWD)
Currency code:
ZWD
Exchange rates:
Zimbabwean dollars per US dollar - 55 (2002), 55.05 (2001), 44.42
(2000), 38.3 (1999), 23.68 (1998)
Fiscal year:
1 January - 31 December
Communications Zimbabwe
Telephones - main lines in use: 212,000 (in addition, there are about 20,000 fixed telephones in wireless local loop connections) (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
111,000 (2001)
Telephone system:
general assessment: system was once one of the best in Africa, but
now suffers from poor maintenance; more than 100,000 outstanding
requests for connection despite an equally large number of installed
but unused main lines
domestic: consists of microwave radio relay links, open-wire lines,
radiotelephone communication stations, fixed wireless local loop
installations, and a substantial mobile cellular network; Internet
connection is available in Harare and planned for all major towns
and for some of the smaller ones
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat; two
international digital gateway exchanges (in Harare and Gweru)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 7, FM 20 (plus 17 repeater stations), shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios:
1.14 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
16 (1997)
Televisions:
370,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.zw
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
6 (2000)
Internet users:
100,000 (2002)
Transportation Zimbabwe
Railways:
total: 3,077 km
narrow gauge: 3,077 km 1.067-m gauge (313 km electrified)
note: includes the 318 km Bulawayo-Beitbridge Railway Company line
(2002)
Highways:
total: 18,338 km
paved: 8,692 km
unpaved: 9,646 km (1999 est.)
Waterways:
chrome ore is transported from Harare - by way of the Mazoe River -
to the Zambezi River in Mozambique
Pipelines:
refined products 261 km (2003)
Ports and harbors:
Binga, Kariba
Airports:
430 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 17 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 8 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 413 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 197 under 914 m: 212 (2002)
Military Zimbabwe
Military branches:
Zimbabwe National Army, Air Force of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Republic
Police (includes Police Support Unit, Paramilitary Police)
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 3,236,042 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 2,003,572 (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$625.1 million (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
3.2% (FY02)
Transnational Issues Zimbabwe
Disputes - international:
dormant dispute remains where Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and
Zimbabwe boundaries converge
Illicit drugs:
transit point for African cannabis and South Asian heroin, mandrax,
and methamphetamines destined for the South African and European
markets
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003