← The 2003 CIA World Factbook, Volume 1
Z (part 7)
Ports and harbors:
Cilacap, Cirebon, Jakarta, Kupang, Makassar, Palembang, Semarang,
Surabaya
Merchant marine:
total: 710 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 3,045,673 GRT/4,106,508 DWT
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Greece 1, Hong Kong 2, India 1, Japan 2, Malaysia 1,
Monaco 3, Panama 1, Philippines 1, Singapore 11, South Korea 1,
Switzerland 1, UK 2, US 1 (2002 est.)
ships by type: bulk 42, cargo 400, chemical tanker 15, container 56,
liquefied gas 3, livestock carrier 1, passenger 9, passenger/cargo
13, petroleum tanker 127, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 16,
short-sea passenger 9, specialized tanker 11, vehicle carrier 6
Airports:
631 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 153 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 12 914 to 1,523 m: 48 under 914 m: 43 (2002) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 46
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 478 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 25 under 914 m: 450 (2002)
Heliports: 9 (2002)
Military Indonesia
Military branches:
Army, Navy (including marines and naval air arm), Air Force
Military manpower - military age:
18 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 65,665,721 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 38,290,550 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 2,213,727 (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$1 billion (FY98)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.3% (FY98)
Transnational Issues Indonesia
Disputes - international:
East Timor-Indonesia Boundary Committee continues to meet regularly
to survey and delimit land boundary; East Timor refugees delay
return from camps in Indonesia; maritime delimitations with
Australia and East Timor await further discussions; ICJ awarded
Sipadan and Ligitan islands to Malaysia in 2002; Indonesian
secessionists, squatters and illegal migrants create repatriation
problems for Papua New Guinea
Illicit drugs:
illicit producer of cannabis largely for domestic use; possible
growing role as transshipment point for Golden Triangle heroin
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
@Iran
Introduction Iran
Background:
Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979
after the ruling shah was forced into exile. Conservative clerical
forces established a theocratic system of government with ultimate
political authority vested in a learned religious scholar. A group
of Iranian students seized the US Embassy in Tehran on 4 November
1979 and held it until 20 January 1981. During 1980-88, Iran fought
a bloody, indecisive war with Iraq over disputed territory. Over the
past decade, popular dissatisfaction with the government, driven by
demographic changes, restrictive social policies, and poor economic
conditions, has created a powerful and enduring pressure for
political reform.
Geography Iran
Location:
Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the
Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan
Geographic coordinates:
32 00 N, 53 00 E
Map references:
Middle East
Area:
total: 1.648 million sq km
land: 1.636 million sq km
water: 12,000 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Alaska
Land boundaries:
total: 5,440 km
border countries: Afghanistan 936 km, Armenia 35 km,
Azerbaijan-proper 432 km, Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave 179 km, Iraq
1,458 km, Pakistan 909 km, Turkey 499 km, Turkmenistan 992 km
Coastline:
2,440 km; note - Iran also borders the Caspian Sea (740 km)
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: natural prolongation
exclusive economic zone: bilateral agreements or median lines in the
Persian Gulf
Climate:
mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast
Terrain:
rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts,
mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m
highest point: Kuh-e Damavand 5,671 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead,
manganese, zinc, sulfur
Land use: arable land: 10.17% permanent crops: 1.16% other: 88.67% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
75,620 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes
along western border and in the northeast
Environment - current issues:
air pollution, especially in urban areas, from vehicle emissions,
refinery operations, and industrial effluents; deforestation;
overgrazing; desertification; oil pollution in the Persian Gulf;
wetland losses from drought; soil degradation (salination);
inadequate supplies of potable water; water pollution from raw
sewage and industrial waste; urbanization
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone
Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the
Sea, Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note:
strategic location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, which
are vital maritime pathways for crude oil transport
People Iran
Population:
68,278,826 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 29.3% (male 10,279,588; female 9,727,668)
15-64 years: 65.9% (male 22,916,431; female 22,095,124)
65 years and over: 4.8% (male 1,625,113; female 1,634,902) (2003
est.)
Median age: total: 22.9 years male: 22.7 years female: 23.2 years (2002)
Population growth rate:
1.08% (2003 est.)
Birth rate:
17.23 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate:
5.54 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate:
-0.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.99 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 44.17 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 44.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 44.31 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.35 years
male: 68.04 years
female: 70.73 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.99 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
20,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
290 (2001 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Iranian(s)
adjective: Iranian
Ethnic groups:
Persian 51%, Azeri 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab
3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1%
Religions:
Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 10%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian,
and Baha'i 1%
Languages:
Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%,
Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2%
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 79.4%
male: 85.6%
female: 73% (2003 est.)
Government Iran
Country name:
conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Iran
conventional short form: Iran
local short form: Iran
former: Persia
local long form: Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran
Government type:
theocratic republic
Capital:
Tehran
Administrative divisions:
28 provinces (ostanha, singular - ostan); Ardabil, Azarbayjan-e
Gharbi, Azarbayjan-e Sharqi, Bushehr, Chahar Mahall va Bakhtiari,
Esfahan, Fars, Gilan, Golestan, Hamadan, Hormozgan, Ilam, Kerman,
Kermanshah, Khorasan, Khuzestan, Kohkiluyeh va Buyer Ahmad,
Kordestan, Lorestan, Markazi, Mazandaran, Qazvin, Qom, Semnan,
Sistan va Baluchestan, Tehran, Yazd, Zanjan
Independence:
1 April 1979 (Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed)
National holiday:
Republic Day, 1 April (1979)
note: additional holidays celebrated widely in Iran include
Revolution Day, 11 February (1979); Noruz (New Year's Day), 21
March; Constitutional Monarchy Day, 5 August (1925)
Constitution:
2-3 December 1979; revised 1989 to expand powers of the presidency
and eliminate the prime ministership
Legal system:
the Constitution codifies Islamic principles of government
Suffrage:
15 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Hoseini-KHAMENEI
(since 4 June 1989)
elections: leader of the Islamic Revolution appointed for life by
the Assembly of Experts; president elected by popular vote for a
four-year term; election last held 8 June 2001 (next to be held June
2005)
election results: (Ali) Mohammad KHATAMI-Ardakani reelected
president; percent of vote - (Ali) Mohammad KHATAMI-Ardakani 77%
cabinet: Council of Ministers selected by the president with
legislative approval; the Supreme Leader has some control over
appointments to the more sensitive ministries
head of government: President (Ali) Mohammad KHATAMI-Ardakani (since
3 August 1997); First Vice President Dr. Mohammad Reza AREF-YAZDI
(since 26 August 2001)
Legislative branch:
unicameral Islamic Consultative Assembly or
Majles-e-Shura-ye-Eslami (290 seats, note - changed from 270 seats
with the 18 February 2000 election; members elected by popular vote
to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 18 February 2000 with a runoff held 5 May 2000
(next to be held February 2004)
election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats by party - reformers
189, conservatives 54, independents 42, seats reserved for religious
minorities 5
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
a loose pro-reform coalition called the 2nd Khordad front achieved
considerable success at elections to the sixth Majles in early 2000,
and groups in the coalition include: Islamic Iran Participation
Front (IIPF); Executives of Construction Party (Kargozaran);
Solidarity Party; Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution Organization
(MIRO); and Militant Clerics Society (Ruhaniyun); a new apparently
conservative group, the Builders of Islamic Iran, emerged at the
local level in early 2003
Political pressure groups and leaders: active pro-reform student groups include the "Organization for Strengthening Unity"; groups that generally support the Islamic Republic include Ansar-e Hizballah, Muslim Students Following the Line of the Imam, Tehran Militant Clergy Association (Ruhaniyat), Islamic Coalition Association, and Islamic Engineers Society; opposition groups include Freedom Movement of Iran, the National Front, Marz-e Por Gohar, and various Monarchist organizations; armed political groups that have been almost completely repressed by the government include Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK), People's Fedayeen, Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, and Komala
International organization participation:
CP, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO
Diplomatic representation in the US: none; note - Iran has an Interests Section in the Pakistani Embassy; address: Iranian Interests Section, Pakistani Embassy, 2209 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007; telephone: (202) 965-4990
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none; note - protecting power in Iran is Switzerland
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red; the
national emblem (a stylized representation of the word Allah in the
shape of a tulip, a symbol of martyrdom) in red is centered in the
white band; ALLAH AKBAR (God is Great) in white Arabic script is
repeated 11 times along the bottom edge of the green band and 11
times along the top edge of the red band
Economy Iran
Economy - overview:
Iran's economy is a mixture of central planning, state ownership of
oil and other large enterprises, village agriculture, and
small-scale private trading and service ventures. President KHATAMI
has continued to follow the market reform plans of former President
RAFSANJANI and has indicated that he will pursue diversification of
Iran's oil-reliant economy although he has made little progress
toward that goal. Relatively high oil prices in recent years have
enabled Iran to amass some $15 billion in foreign exchange reserves,
but have not solved Iran's structural economic problems, including
high unemployment and inflation.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $458.3 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
7.6% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $6,800 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 19% industry: 26% services: 55% (2002 est.)
Population below poverty line:
40% (2002 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
15.3% (2002 est.)
Labor force: 21 million note: shortage of skilled labor (1998)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 30%, industry 25%, services 45% (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate:
16.3% (2003 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $29.5 billion
expenditures: $31.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2002 est.)
Industries:
petroleum, petrochemicals, textiles, cement and other construction
materials, food processing (particularly sugar refining and
vegetable oil production), metal fabricating, armaments
Industrial production growth rate:
5.5% excluding oil (2001 est.)
Electricity - production:
124.6 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 97.1% hydro: 2.9% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:
115.9 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
3.804 million bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
1.277 million bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
NA (2001)
Oil - imports:
NA (2001)
Oil - proved reserves:
94.39 billion bbl (37257)
Natural gas - production:
61.5 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
65.59 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
110 million cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
4.2 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
24.8 trillion cu m (37257)
Agriculture - products: wheat, rice, other grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton; dairy products, wool; caviar
Exports:
$24.8 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities:
petroleum 85%, carpets, fruits and nuts, iron and steel, chemicals
Exports - partners:
Japan 17.4%, China 8.6%, UAE 7.6%, Italy 6.6%, South Korea 4.9%,
South Africa 4.4% (2002)
Imports:
$21.8 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities:
industrial raw materials and intermediate goods, capital goods,
foodstuffs and other consumer goods, technical services, military
supplies
Imports - partners:
Germany 10.9%, Italy 9%, France 7.9%, China 7.4%, South Korea 6.5%,
UAE 4.4%, Japan 4.1%, Russia 4% (2002)
Debt - external:
$8.7 billion (2002 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
$408 million (2002 est.)
Currency:
Iranian rial (IRR)
Currency code:
IRR
Exchange rates:
rials per US dollar 6,906.96 (2002), 1,753.56 (2001), 1,764.43
(2000), 1,752.93 (1999), 1,751.86 (1998)
note: from 1997 to 2001, Iran had a multi-exchange-rate system; one
of these rates, the official floating exchange rate, by which most
essential goods were imported, averaged 1,750 rials per US dollar;
in March 2002, the multi-exchange-rate system was converged into one
rate at about 7,900 rials per US dollar
Fiscal year:
21 March - 20 March
Communications Iran
Telephones - main lines in use:
6.313 million (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
265,000 (August 1998)
Telephone system:
general assessment: inadequate but currently being modernized and
expanded with the goal of not only improving the efficiency and
increasing the volume of the urban service but also bringing
telephone service to several thousand villages, not presently
connected
domestic: as a result of heavy investing in the telephone system
since 1994, the number of long-distance channels in the microwave
radio relay trunk has grown substantially; many villages have been
brought into the net; the number of main lines in the urban systems
has approximately doubled; and thousands of mobile cellular
subscribers are being served; moreover, the technical level of the
system has been raised by the installation of thousands of digital
switches
international: HF radio and microwave radio relay to Turkey,
Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Syria, Kuwait,
Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; submarine fiber-optic cable to UAE with
access to Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG);
Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line runs from Azerbaijan
through the northern portion of Iran to Turkmenistan with expansion
to Georgia and Azerbaijan; satellite earth stations - 9 Intelsat and
4 Inmarsat
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 72, FM 5, shortwave 5 (1998)
Radios:
17 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
28 (plus 450 low-power repeaters) (1997)
Televisions:
4.61 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.ir
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
100 (2002)
Internet users:
1.326 million (2002 est.)
Transportation Iran
Railways:
total: 7,201 km
broad gauge: 94 km 1.676-m gauge
standard gauge: 7,107 km 1.435-m gauge (146 km electrified) (2002)
Highways:
total: 167,157 km
paved: 94,109 km (including 890 km of expressways)
unpaved: 73,048 km (1998)
Waterways:
904 km
note: the Shatt al Arab is usually navigable by maritime traffic for
about 130 km; channel has been dredged to 3 m and is in use
Pipelines:
condensate/gas 212 km; gas 16,998 km; liquid petroleum gas 570 km;
oil 8,256 km; refined products 7,808 km (2003)
Ports and harbors:
Abadan (largely destroyed in fighting during 1980-88 war), Ahvaz,
Bandar 'Abbas, Bandar-e Anzali, Bushehr, Bandar-e Emam Khomeyni,
Bandar-e Lengeh, Bandar-e Mahshahr, Bandar-e Torkaman, Chabahar
(Bandar Beheshti), Jazireh-ye Khark, Jazireh-ye Lavan, Jazireh-ye
Sirri, Khorramshahr (limited operation since November 1992), Now
Shahr
Merchant marine:
total: 139 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,190,576 GRT/7,276,700 DWT
ships by type: bulk 43, cargo 34, chemical tanker 4, container 10,
liquefied gas 1, multi-functional large-load carrier 6, petroleum
tanker 30, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 9, short-sea
passenger 1 (2002 est.)
Airports:
309 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 122 over 3,047 m: 39 2,438 to 3,047 m: 25 914 to 1,523 m: 27 under 914 m: 4 (2002) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 27
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 187 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 9 under 914 m: 39 (2002) 914 to 1,523 m: 138
Heliports: 13 (2002)
Military Iran
Military branches:
Islamic Republic of Iran regular forces (includes Ground Forces,
Navy, Air Force and Air Defense Command), Iranian Revolutionary
Guards Corps (IRGC) (includes Ground Forces, Air Force, Navy, Qods
[special operations], and Basij [Popular Mobilization Army] forces),
Law Enforcement Forces
Military manpower - military age:
21 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 20,343,063 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 12,094,551 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 870,711 (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$9.7 billion (FY00)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
3.1% (FY00)
Transnational Issues Iran
Disputes - international:
Iran protests Afghanistan's limiting flow of dammed waters on
Helmand River tributaries in response to prolonged drought in
region; thousands of Afghan refugees still reside in Iran; despite
restored diplomatic relations in 1990, disputes with Iraq over
maritime and land boundaries, navigation channel, and other issues
from eight-year war persist; UAE engage direct talks and Arab League
support to resolve disputes over Iran's occupation of Tunb Islands
and Abu Musa Island; Iran insists on division of the Caspian Sea
into five equal sectors, while other littoral states have generally
agreed to equidistant seabed boundaries - Iran has threatened
Azerbaijanian hydrocarbon exploration in disputed waters
Illicit drugs:
despite substantial interdiction efforts, Iran remains a key
transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin to Europe; domestic
narcotics consumption remains a persistent problem and Iranian press
reports estimate at least 2 million drug users in the country
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
@Iraq
Introduction Iraq
Background:
Formerly part of the Ottoman Empire, Iraq was occupied by Britain
during the course of World War I; in 1920, it was declared a League
of Nations mandate under UK administration. In stages over the next
dozen years, Iraq attained its independence as a kingdom in 1932. A
"republic" was proclaimed in 1958, but in actuality a series of
military strongmen have ruled the country since then, the latest
being SADDAM Husayn. Territorial disputes with Iran led to an
inconclusive and costly eight-year war (1980-88). In August 1990,
Iraq seized Kuwait, but was expelled by US-led, UN coalition forces
during the Gulf War of January-February 1991. Following Kuwait's
liberation, the UN Security Council (UNSC) required Iraq to scrap
all weapons of mass destruction and long-range missiles and to allow
UN verification inspections. Continued Iraqi noncompliance with UNSC
resolutions over a period of 12 years resulted in the US-led
invasion of Iraq in March 2003 and the ouster of the SADDAM Husayn
regime. Coalition forces remain in Iraq, helping to restore degraded
infrastructure and facilitating the establishment of a freely
elected government.
Geography Iraq
Location:
Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait
Geographic coordinates:
33 00 N, 44 00 E
Map references:
Middle East
Area:
total: 437,072 sq km
water: 4,910 sq km
land: 432,162 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly more than twice the size of Idaho
Land boundaries:
total: 3,650 km
border countries: Iran 1,458 km, Jordan 181 km, Kuwait 240 km, Saudi
Arabia 814 km, Syria 605 km, Turkey 352 km
Coastline:
58 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf: not specified
territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate:
mostly desert; mild to cool winters with dry, hot, cloudless
summers; northern mountainous regions along Iranian and Turkish
borders experience cold winters with occasionally heavy snows that
melt in early spring, sometimes causing extensive flooding in
central and southern Iraq
Terrain:
mostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border in south
with large flooded areas; mountains along borders with Iran and
Turkey
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: unamed peak 3,611 m; note - this peak is not Gundah
Zhur 3,607 m or Kuh-e Hajji-Ebrahim 3,595 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur
Land use: arable land: 11.89% permanent crops: 0.78% other: 87.33% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
35,250 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
dust storms, sandstorms, floods
Environment - current issues:
government water control projects have drained most of the
inhabited marsh areas east of An Nasiriyah by drying up or diverting
the feeder streams and rivers; a once sizable population of Marsh
Arabs, who inhabited these areas for thousands of years, has been
displaced; furthermore, the destruction of the natural habitat poses
serious threats to the area's wildlife populations; inadequate
supplies of potable water; development of the Tigris and Euphrates
rivers system contingent upon agreements with upstream riparian
Turkey; air and water pollution; soil degradation (salination) and
erosion; desertification
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Geography - note:
strategic location on Shatt al Arab waterway and at the head of the
Persian Gulf
People Iraq
Population:
24,683,313 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 40.7% (male 5,103,669; female 4,946,443)
15-64 years: 56.3% (male 7,033,268; female 6,855,644)
65 years and over: 3% (male 348,790; female 395,499) (2003 est.)
Median age:
total: 19 years
male: 18.9 years
female: 19.1 years (2002)
Population growth rate:
2.78% (2003 est.)
Birth rate:
33.66 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate:
5.84 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: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 55.16 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 48.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 61.09 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 67.81 years
male: 66.7 years
female: 68.99 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate:
4.52 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
less than 1,000
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Iraqi(s)
adjective: Iraqi
Ethnic groups:
Arab 75%-80%, Kurdish 15%-20%, Turkoman, Assyrian or other 5%
Religions:
Muslim 97% (Shi'a 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%), Christian or other 3%
Languages:
Arabic, Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions), Assyrian, Armenian
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 40.4%
male: 55.9%
female: 24.4% (2003 est.)
Government Iraq
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Iraq
conventional short form: Iraq
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Iraqiyah
local short form: Al Iraq
Government type:
in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime
by US-led coalition
Capital:
Baghdad
Administrative divisions:
18 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Anbar, Al
Basrah, Al Muthanna, Al Qadisiyah, An Najaf, Arbil, As Sulaymaniyah,
At Ta'mim, Babil, Baghdad, Dahuk, Dhi Qar, Diyala, Karbala', Maysan,
Ninawa, Salah ad Din, Wasit
Independence:
3 October 1932 (from League of Nations mandate under British
administration)
National holiday:
Revolution Day, 17 July (1968)
Constitution:
in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime
by US-led coalition
Legal system:
in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime
by US-led coalition
Suffrage:
formerly 18 years of age; universal; note - in transition following
April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime by US-led coalition
Executive branch:
chief of state: in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM
Husayn regime by US-led coalition
Legislative branch:
in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime
by US-led coalition
Judicial branch:
in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime
by US-led coalition
Political parties and leaders:
in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime
by US-led coalition
Political pressure groups and leaders:
in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime
by US-led coalition
International organization participation:
ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, EAPC, ESCWA, FAO, G-19, G-77,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime
by US-led coalition
Diplomatic representation from the US:
in transition following April 2003 defeat of SADDAM Husayn regime
by US-led coalition
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with
three green five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centered in the
white band; the phrase ALLAHU AKBAR (God is Great) in green Arabic
script - Allahu to the right of the middle star and Akbar to the
left of the middle star - was added in January 1991 during the
Persian Gulf crisis; similar to the flag of Syria which has two
stars but no script and the flag of Yemen, which has a plain white
band; also similar to the flag of Egypt which has a symbolic eagle
centered in the white band
Economy Iraq
Economy - overview:
Iraq's economy is dominated by the oil sector, which has
traditionally provided about 95% of foreign exchange earnings. In
the 1980s financial problems caused by massive expenditures in the
eight-year war with Iran and damage to oil export facilities by Iran
led the government to implement austerity measures, borrow heavily,
and later reschedule foreign debt payments; Iraq suffered economic
losses from the war of at least $100 billion. After hostilities
ended in 1988, oil exports gradually increased with the construction
of new pipelines and restoration of damaged facilities. Iraq's
seizure of Kuwait in August 1990, subsequent international economic
sanctions, and damage from military action by an international
coalition beginning in January 1991 drastically reduced economic
activity. Although government policies supporting large military and
internal security forces and allocating resources to key supporters
of the regime have hurt the economy, implementation of the UN's
oil-for-food program beginning in December 1996 helped improve
conditions for the average Iraqi citizen. Iraq was allowed to export
limited amounts of oil in exchange for food, medicine, and some
infrastructure spare parts. In December 1999 the UN Security Council
authorized Iraq to export under the program as much oil as required
to meet humanitarian needs. Oil exports have recently been more than
three-quarters prewar level. However, 28% of Iraq's export revenues
under the program have been deducted to meet UN Compensation Fund
and UN administrative expenses. The drop in GDP in 2001-02 was
largely the result of the global economic slowdown and lower oil
prices. Per capita food imports increased significantly, while
medical supplies and health care services steadily improved. Per
capita output and living standards were still well below the prewar
level, but any estimates have a wide range of error. The military
victory of the US-led coalition in March-April 2003 resulted in the
shutdown of much of the central economic administrative structure
and the loss of a comparatively small amount of capital plant.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $58 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-3% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $2,400 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 6%
industry: 13%
services: 81% (1993 est.)
Population below poverty line:
NA
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
70% (2002 est.)
Labor force:
6.5 million (2002 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget:
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Industries:
petroleum, chemicals, textiles, construction materials, food
processing
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
36.01 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 98.4% hydro: 1.6% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:
33.49 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
2.452 million bbl/day (2001 est.); note - production was disrupted
as a result of the March-April 2003 war (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
460,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
NA (2001)
Oil - imports:
NA (2001)
Oil - proved reserves:
113.8 billion bbl (37257)
Natural gas - production:
2.76 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
2.76 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:
3.149 trillion cu m (37257)
Agriculture - products:
wheat, barley, rice, vegetables, dates, cotton; cattle, sheep
Exports:
$13 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities:
crude oil
Exports - partners:
US 40.9%, Canada 8.2%, France 8.2%, Jordan 7.5%, Netherlands 6.4%,
Italy 5.4%, Morocco 4.7%, Spain 4.4% (2002)
Imports:
$7.8 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities:
food, medicine, manufactures
Imports - partners:
Jordan 11%, France 8.8%, China 8.4%, Germany 7.6%, Russia 7.3%,
Australia 7.2%, Vietnam 6.6%, Italy 6.4%, Japan 5.6% (2002)
Debt - external:
$120 billion (2002 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
$327.5 million (1995)
Currency:
Iraqi dinar (IQD)
Currency code:
IQD
Exchange rates:
Iraqi dinars per US dollar - 0.31 (2002), 0.31 (2001), 0.31 (2000),
0.31 (1999), 0.31 (1998), note: fixed official rate since 1982;
market rate subject to wide fluctuations
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications Iraq
Telephones - main lines in use: 675,000 (1997); note - an unknown number of telephone lines were damaged or destroyed during the March-April war
Telephones - mobile cellular:
NA; service available in northern Iraq (2001)
Telephone system:
general assessment: an unknown number of telecommunication
facilities were damaged during the March-April 2003 war
domestic: the network consists of coaxial cables and microwave radio
relay links
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic
Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region),
and 1 Arabsat (inoperative); coaxial cable and microwave radio relay
to Jordan, Kuwait, Syria, and Turkey; Kuwait line is probably
nonoperational
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 19 (5 are inactive), FM 51, shortwave 4 (1998)
Radios:
4.85 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
13 (1997); note - unknown number were destroyed during the
March-April 2003 war
Televisions:
1.75 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.iq
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)
Internet users:
12,500 (2001)
Transportation Iraq
Railways: total: 1,963 km standard gauge: 1,963 km 1.435-m gauge (2003)
Highways: total: 45,550 km paved: 38,399 km unpaved: 7,151 km (2000 est.)
Waterways:
1,015 km
note: Shatt al Arab is usually navigable by maritime traffic for
about 130 km; channel has been dredged to 3 m and is in use; Tigris
and Euphrates Rivers have navigable sections for shallow-draft
boats; Shatt al Basrah canal was navigable by shallow-draft craft
before closing in 1991 because of the Gulf war
Pipelines:
gas 1,739 km; oil 5,418 km; refined products 1,343 km (2003)
Ports and harbors:
Umm Qasr, Khawr az Zubayr, and Al Basrah have limited functionality
Merchant marine:
total: 18 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 119,433 GRT/170,221 DWT
ships by type: cargo 9, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum
tanker 6, roll on/roll off 1 (2002 est.)
Airports:
150 (2002); note - unknown number were damaged during the
March-April 2003 war
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 77
over 3,047 m: 21
2,438 to 3,047 m: 36
914 to 1,523 m: 6
under 914 m: 9 (2002)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 73
under 914 m: 11 (2002)
over 3,047 m: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 28
1,524 to 2,437 m: 24
Heliports:
5 (2002)
Military Iraq
Military branches:
Army, Republican Guard, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, Border
Guard Force, Fedayeen Saddam; note - with the defeat of Saddam
Hussein's regime in 2003, the data listed in the following entries
for Iraq is invalid, but is retained here for historical purposes
and until replaced by valid information related to the future Iraqi
Government (April 2003)
Military manpower - military age:
18 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 6,339,458 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 3,541,467 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 292,930 (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$1.3 billion (FY00)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA%
Transnational Issues Iraq
Disputes - international:
despite restored diplomatic relations in 1990, disputes with Iran
over maritime and land boundaries, navigation channel, and other
issues from eight-year war persist; land and Shatt al Arab boundary
demarcation put an end to claims to Kuwait and to Bubiyan and Warbah
islands, but no maritime boundary exists with Kuwait in the Persian
Gulf; Iraq protests Turkey's hydrological projects to regulate the
Tigris and Euphrates rivers upstream
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
@Ireland
Introduction Ireland
Background:
Celtic tribes settled on the island in the 4th century B.C.
Invasions by Norsemen that began in the late 8th century were
finally ended when King Brian BORU defeated the Danes in 1014.
English invasions began in the 12th century and set off more than
seven centuries of Anglo-Irish struggle marked by fierce rebellions
and harsh repressions. A failed 1916 Easter Monday Rebellion touched
off several years of guerrilla warfare that in 1921 resulted in
independence from the UK for 26 southern counties; six northern
(Ulster) counties remained part of the United Kingdom. In 1948
Ireland withdrew from the British Commonwealth; it joined the
European Community in 1973. Irish governments have sought the
peaceful unification of Ireland and have cooperated with Britain
against terrorist groups. A peace settlement for Northern Ireland,
known as the Good Friday Agreement and approved in 1998, is
currently being implemented.
Geography Ireland
Location:
Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland in
the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain
Geographic coordinates:
53 00 N, 8 00 W
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 70,280 sq km
water: 1,390 sq km
land: 68,890 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than West Virginia
Land boundaries: total: 360 km border countries: UK 360 km
Coastline: 1,448 km
Maritime claims: exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate:
temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild
winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the
time
Terrain:
mostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged hills
and low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Carrauntoohil 1,041 m
Natural resources:
zinc, lead, natural gas, barite, copper, gypsum, limestone,
dolomite, peat, silver
Land use:
arable land: 19.49%
permanent crops: 0.04%
other: 80.47% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
NA sq km
Natural hazards:
NA
Environment - current issues:
water pollution, especially of lakes, from agricultural runoff
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Sulphur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Environmental Modification,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical
Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, Endangered Species, Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note:
strategic location on major air and sea routes between North
America and northern Europe; over 40% of the population resides
within 97 km of Dublin
People Ireland
Population:
3,924,140 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 21.2% (male 427,017; female 404,191)
15-64 years: 67.4% (male 1,322,982; female 1,322,429)
65 years and over: 11.4% (male 194,724; female 252,797) (2003 est.)
Median age:
total: 33.1 years
male: 32.2 years
female: 34 years (2002)
Population growth rate:
1.03% (2003 est.)
Birth rate:
14.63 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate:
7.94 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate:
3.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 5.34 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 5.95 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.35 years
male: 74.58 years
female: 80.31 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.89 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
2,400 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 100 (2001 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Irishman(men), Irishwoman(women), Irish (collective plural)
adjective: Irish
Ethnic groups:
Celtic, English
Religions:
Roman Catholic 91.6%, Church of Ireland 2.5%, other 5.9% (1998)
Languages:
English is the language generally used, Irish (Gaelic) spoken
mainly in areas located along the western seaboard
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98% (1981 est.)
male: NA
female: NA
Government Ireland
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Ireland
Government type:
republic
Capital:
Dublin
Administrative divisions:
26 counties; Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Dublin, Galway,
Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Louth,
Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary,
Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford, Wicklow
note: Cavan, Donegal, and Monaghan are part of Ulster Province
Independence:
6 December 1921 (from UK by treaty)
National holiday:
Saint Patrick's Day, 17 March
Constitution:
29 December 1937; adopted 1 July 1937 by plebiscite
Legal system:
based on English common law, substantially modified by indigenous
concepts; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Mary MCALEESE (since 11 November 1997)
head of government: Prime Minister Bertie AHERN (since 26 June 1997)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with previous nomination
by the prime minister and approval of the House of Representatives
election results: Mary MCALEESE elected president; percent of vote -
Mary MCALEESE 44.8%, Mary BANOTTI 29.6%
note: government coalition - Fianna Fail and the Progressive
Democrats
elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term;
election last held 31 October 1997 (next to be held NA November
2004); prime minister nominated by the House of Representatives and
appointed by the president
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament or Oireachtas consists of the Senate or Seanad
Eireann (60 seats - 49 elected by the universities and from
candidates put forward by five vocational panels, 11 are nominated
by the prime minister; members serve five-year terms) and the House
of Representatives or Dail Eireann (166 seats; members are elected
by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve
five-year terms)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
party - Fianna Fail 30, Fine Gael 15, Labor Party 5, Progressive
Democrats 4, independents and others 6; House of Representatives -
percent of vote by party - Fianna Fail 41.5%, Fine Gael 22.5%, Labor
Party 10.8%, Sinn Fein 6.5%, Progressive Democrats 4.0%, Green Party
3.8%, others 10.9%; seats by party - Fianna Fail 81, Fine Gael 31,
Labor Party 21, Progressive Democrats 8, Green Party 6, Sinn Fein 5,
others 14
elections: Senate - last held 16 and 17 July 2002 (next to be held
by July 2007); House of Representatives - last held 17 May 2002
(next to be held by May 2007)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges appointed by the president on the advice of
the prime minister and cabinet)
Political parties and leaders:
Fianna Fail [Bertie AHERN]; Fine Gael [Enda KENNY]; Green Party
[Trevor SARGENT]; Labor Party [Pat RABITTE]; Progressive Democrats
[Mary HARNEY]; Sinn Fein [Gerry ADAMS]; Socialist Party [Joe
HIGGINS]; The Workers' Party [Sean GARLAND]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
Australia Group, BIS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUC,
NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMEE,
UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMISET, UNMOP, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (observer), WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Noel FAHEY; note - FAHEY has announced
that he will leave
chancery: 2234 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, New York, and San Francisco
FAX: (202) 232-5993
telephone: (202) 462-3939
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Richard J. EGAN
embassy: 42 Elgin Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: (1) 668-8777
FAX: (1) 668-9946
Flag description:
three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and
orange; similar to the flag of Cote d'Ivoire, which is shorter and
has the colors reversed - orange (hoist side), white, and green;
also similar to the flag of Italy, which is shorter and has colors
of green (hoist side), white, and red
Economy Ireland
Economy - overview:
Ireland is a small, modern, trade-dependent economy with growth
averaging a robust 8% in 1995-2002. The global slowdown, especially
in the information technology sector, pressed growth down to 2.7% in
2003. Agriculture, once the most important sector, is now dwarfed by
industry and services. Industry accounts for 46% of GDP and about
80% of exports and employs 28% of the labor force. Although exports
remain the primary engine for Ireland's growth, the economy has also
benefited from a rise in consumer spending, construction, and
business investment. Per capita GDP is 10% above that of the four
big European economies. Over the past decade, the Irish Government
has implemented a series of national economic programs designed to
curb inflation, reduce government spending, increase labor force
skills, and promote foreign investment. Ireland joined in launching
the euro currency system in January 1999 along with 10 other EU
nations.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $113.7 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
6.9% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $29,300 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 5% industry: 46% services: 49% (2002 est.)
Population below poverty line:
10% (1997 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 27.3% (1997)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
35.9 (1987)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.6% (2002 est.)
Labor force:
1.8 million (2001)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 8%, industry 29%, services 64% (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate:
4.3% (2002 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $30.7 billion
expenditures: $30.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $5.5
billion (2002)
Industries:
food products, brewing, textiles, clothing; chemicals,
pharmaceuticals, machinery, transportation equipment, glass and
crystal; software
Industrial production growth rate:
6% (2002 est.)
Electricity - production:
23.53 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 95.9% hydro: 2.3% other: 1.7% (2001) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:
21.63 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
285 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
38 million kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
174,400 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
27,450 bbl/day (2001)
Oil - imports:
178,600 bbl/day (2001)
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (37257)
Natural gas - production:
815 million cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
4.199 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
3.384 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
9.911 billion cu m (37257)
Agriculture - products:
turnips, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat; beef, dairy products
Exports:
$86.6 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, computers, chemicals, pharmaceuticals;
live animals, animal products (1999)
Exports - partners:
UK 23.3%, US 16.7%, Belgium 14.6%, Germany 7.3%, France 5% (2002)
Imports:
$48.6 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities:
data processing equipment, other machinery and equipment,
chemicals; petroleum and petroleum products, textiles, clothing
Imports - partners:
UK 41.1%, US 15.3%, Germany 6.8% (2002)
Debt - external:
$11 billion (1998)
Economic aid - donor:
ODA, $283 million (2001)
Currency:
euro (EUR)
note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the
euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of
member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole
currency for everyday transactions within the member countries
Currency code:
EUR
Exchange rates:
euros per US dollar - 1.06 (2002), 1.12 (2001), 1.09 (2000), 0.94
(1999), 0.7 (1998)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications Ireland
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.6 million (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
3 million (2002)
Telephone system:
general assessment: modern digital system using cable and microwave
radio relay
domestic: microwave radio relay
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 9, FM 106, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios:
2.55 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
4 (many low-power repeaters) (2001)
Televisions:
1.82 million (2001)
Internet country code:
.ie
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
22 (2000)
Internet users:
1.31 million (2002)
Transportation Ireland
Railways:
total: 3,312 km
broad gauge: 1,947 km 1.600-m gauge (46 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 1,365 km 0.914-m gauge (operated by the Irish Peat
Board to transport peat to power stations and briquetting plants)
(2002)
Highways:
total: 92,500 km
paved: 87,043 km (including 115 km of expressways)
unpaved: 5,457 km (2000 est.)
Waterways:
700 km (limited facilities for commercial traffic) (1998)
Pipelines:
gas 1,795 km (2003)
Ports and harbors:
Arklow, Cork, Drogheda, Dublin, Foynes, Galway, Limerick, New Ross,
Waterford
Merchant marine:
total: 26 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 110,913 GRT/128,017 DWT
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Germany 2 (2002 est.)
ships by type: bulk 4, cargo 20, container 1, short-sea passenger 1
Airports:
36 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 16 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 6 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 20 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 17 (2002)
Military Ireland
Military branches:
Army (including Naval Service and Air Corps), National Police
(Garda Siochana)
Military manpower - military age:
17 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 1,020,182 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 821,378 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 31,437 (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$700 million (FY00/01)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
0.9% (FY00/01)
Transnational Issues Ireland
Disputes - international: disputes with Iceland, Denmark, and the UK over the Faroe Islands continental shelf boundary outside 200 NM
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for and consumer of hashish from North Africa
to the UK and Netherlands and of European-produced synthetic drugs;
minor transshipment point for heroin and cocaine destined for
Western Europe
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
@Israel
Introduction Israel
Background:
Following World War II, the British withdrew from their mandate of
Palestine, and the UN partitioned the area into Arab and Jewish
states, an arrangement rejected by the Arabs. Subsequently, the
Israelis defeated the Arabs in a series of wars without ending the
deep tensions between the two sides. The territories occupied by
Israel since the 1967 war are not included in the Israel country
profile, unless otherwise noted. On 25 April 1982, Israel withdrew
from the Sinai pursuant to the 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty.
Outstanding territorial and other disputes with Jordan were resolved
in the 26 October 1994 Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace. In addition,
on 25 May 2000, Israel withdrew unilaterally from southern Lebanon,
which it had occupied since 1982. In keeping with the framework
established at the Madrid Conference in October 1991, bilateral
negotiations were conducted between Israel and Palestinian
representatives (from the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip)
and Syria to achieve a permanent settlement. But progress toward a
permanent status agreement has been undermined by the outbreak of
Palestinian-Israeli violence since September 2000.
Geography Israel
Location:
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and
Lebanon
Geographic coordinates:
31 30 N, 34 45 E
Map references:
Middle East
Area:
total: 20,770 sq km
water: 440 sq km
land: 20,330 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries:
total: 1,017 km
border countries: Egypt 266 km, Gaza Strip 51 km, Jordan 238 km,
Lebanon 79 km, Syria 76 km, West Bank 307 km
Coastline:
273 km
Maritime claims: continental shelf: to depth of exploitation territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate:
temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas
Terrain:
Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains;
Jordan Rift Valley
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
highest point: Har Meron 1,208 m
Natural resources:
timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium
bromide, clays, sand
Land use: arable land: 17.02% permanent crops: 4.17% other: 78.81% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
1,990 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts; periodic
earthquakes
Environment - current issues: limited arable land and natural fresh water resources pose serious constraints; desertification; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; groundwater pollution from industrial and domestic waste, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Marine Life
Conservation
Geography - note:
there are 242 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in
the West Bank, 42 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 25 in the
Gaza Strip, and 29 in East Jerusalem (February 2002 est.); Sea of
Galilee is an important freshwater source
People Israel
Population:
6,116,533 (July 2002 est.)
note: includes about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank,
about 20,000 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, more than 5,000
in the Gaza Strip, and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem
(February 2003 est.) (July 2003 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 26.9% (male 842,885; female 803,864)
15-64 years: 63.2% (male 1,941,440; female 1,922,512)
65 years and over: 9.9% (male 260,315; female 345,517) (2003 est.)
Median age:
total: 28.9 years
male: 28.1 years
female: 29.8 years (2002)
Population growth rate:
1.39% (2003 est.)
Birth rate:
18.67 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate:
6.2 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate:
1.39 migrant(s)/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: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 7.37 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.57 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 8.14 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.02 years
male: 76.95 years
female: 81.19 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.5 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
2,400 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
100 (2001 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Israeli(s)
adjective: Israeli
Ethnic groups:
Jewish 80.1% (Europe/America-born 32.1%, Israel-born 20.8%,
Africa-born 14.6%, Asia-born 12.6%), non-Jewish 19.9% (mostly Arab)
(1996 est.)
Religions:
Jewish 80.1%, Muslim 14.6% (mostly Sunni Muslim), Christian 2.1%,
other 3.2% (1996 est.)
Languages:
Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority,
English most commonly used foreign language
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95.4%
male: 97.3%
female: 93.6% (2003 est.)
Government Israel
Country name:
conventional long form: State of Israel
conventional short form: Israel
local short form: Yisra'el
local long form: Medinat Yisra'el
Government type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
Jerusalem; note - Israel proclaimed Jerusalem as its capital in
1950, but the US, like nearly all other countries, maintains its
Embassy in Tel Aviv
Administrative divisions:
6 districts (mehozot, singular - mehoz); Central, Haifa, Jerusalem,
Northern, Southern, Tel Aviv
Independence:
14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British
administration)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 14 May (1948); note - Israel declared
independence on 14 May 1948, but the Jewish calendar is lunar and
the holiday may occur in April or May
Constitution:
no formal constitution; some of the functions of a constitution are
filled by the Declaration of Establishment (1948), the Basic Laws of
the parliament (Knesset), and the Israeli citizenship law
Legal system:
mixture of English common law, British Mandate regulations, and, in
personal matters, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim legal systems; in
December 1985, Israel informed the UN Secretariat that it would no
longer accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Moshe KATSAV (since 31 July 2000)
elections: president elected by the Knesset for a seven-year term;
election last held 31 July 2000 (next to be held NA 2007); following
legislative elections, the president assigns a Knesset member -
traditionally the leader of the largest party - the task of forming
a governing coalition; election last held 28 January 2003 (next to
be held fall of 2007)
head of government: Prime Minister Ariel SHARON (since 7 March 2001)
cabinet: Cabinet selected by prime minister and approved by the
Knesset
election results: Moshe KATSAV elected president by the 120-member
Knesset with a total of 60 votes, other candidate, Shimon PERES,
received 57 votes (there were three abstentions); Ariel SHARON
continues as prime minister after Likud Party victory in January
2003 Knesset elections; Likud won 38 seats and then formed coalition
government with Shinui, the National Religious Party, and the
National Union
Legislative branch:
unicameral Knesset or parliament (120 seats; members elected by
popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 28 January 2003 (next to be held fall of 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - Likud Party 29.4%,
Labor 14.5%, Shinui 12.3%, Shas 8.2%, National Union 5.5%, Meretz
5.2%, United Torah Judaism 4.3%, National Religious Party 4.2%,
Democratic Front for Peace and Equality 3.0%, One Nation 2.8%,
National Democratic Alliance 2.3%, YBA 2.2%, United Arab List 2.1%,
Green Leaf Party 1.2%, Herut 1.2%, other 1.6%; seats by party -
Likud 38, Labor 19, Shinui 15, Shas 11, National Union 7, Meretz 6,
National Religious Party 6, United Torah Judaism 5, Democratic Front
for Peace and Equality 3, One Nation 3, National Democratic Alliance
3, YBA 2, United Arab List 2
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (justices appointed for life by the president)
Political parties and leaders:
Center Party [Dan MERIDOR]; Democratic Front for Peace and Equality
(Hadash) [Muhammad BARAKA]; Democratic Movement [Roman BRONFMAN];
Gesher [David LEVI]; Green Leaf Party [Boaz WACHTEL and Shlomi
SANDAK]; Herut [Michael KLEINER]; Labor Party [Binyamin
BEN-ELIEZER]; Likud Party [Ariel SHARON]; Meimad [Rabbi Michael
MELCHIOR]; Meretz [Yossi SARID]; National Democratic Alliance
(Balad) [Azmi BISHARA]; National Religious Party [Yitzhak LEVY];
National Union [Benyamin ELON] (includes Tekuma and Moledet); One
Israel [Ra'anan COHEN]; One Nation [Amir PERETZ]; Shas [Eliyahu
YISHAI]; Shinui [Tommy LAPID]; United Arab List [Abd al-Malik
DAHAMSHAH]; United Torah Judaism [Meir PORUSH]; Yisra'el Ba'Aliya or
YBA [Natan SHARANSKY]; Yisra'el Beiteinu [Avigdor LIEBERMAN]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Israeli nationalists advocating Jewish settlement on the West Bank
and Gaza Strip; Peace Now supports territorial concessions in the
West Bank and Gaza Strip; Yesha (settler) Council promotes settler
interests and opposes territorial compromise; B'Tselem monitors
human rights abuses
International organization participation:
BSEC (observer), CE (observer), CERN (observer), EBRD, ECE, FAO,
IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS (associate), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU,
OAS (observer), OPCW (signatory), OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Daniel AYALON consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco FAX: (202) 364-5607 telephone: (202) 364-5500 chancery: 3514 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Daniel C. KURTZER embassy: 71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv mailing address: PSC 98, Box 29, APO AE 09830 telephone: (3) 519-7457/7369/7454/7458/7453 FAX: (3) 517-4390 consulate(s) general: Jerusalem; note - an independent US mission, established in 1928, whose members are not accredited to a foreign government
Flag description:
white with a blue hexagram (six-pointed linear star) known as the
Magen David (Shield of David) centered between two equal horizontal
blue bands near the top and bottom edges of the flag
Economy Israel
Economy - overview:
Israel has a technologically advanced market economy with
substantial government participation. It depends on imports of crude
oil, grains, raw materials, and military equipment. Despite limited
natural resources, Israel has intensively developed its agricultural
and industrial sectors over the past 20 years. Israel imports
significant quantities of grain but is largely self-sufficient in
other agricultural products. Cut diamonds, high-technology
equipment, and agricultural products (fruits and vegetables) are the
leading exports. Israel usually posts sizable current account
deficits, which are covered by large transfer payments from abroad
and by foreign loans. Roughly half of the government's external debt
is owed to the US, which is its major source of economic and
military aid. The influx of Jewish immigrants from the former USSR
during the period 1989-99, coupled with the opening of new markets
at the end of the Cold War, energized Israel's economy, which grew
rapidly in the early 1990s; growth began moderating in 1996 when the
government imposed tighter fiscal and monetary policies and the
immigration bonus petered out. Growth was a strong 7.2% in 2000, but
the bitter Israeli-Palestinian conflict, difficulties in the
high-technology, construction, and tourist sectors, and fiscal
austerity in the face of growing inflation led to small declines in
GDP in 2001 and 2002.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $117.4 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-0.8% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $19,500 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3% industry: 30% services: 67% (2001 est.)
Population below poverty line: 18% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.4% highest 10%: 28.3% (1997)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
35.5 (2001)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5.7% (2002 est.)
Labor force:
2.5 million (2002 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: public services 31.2%, manufacturing 20.2%, finance and business 13.1%, commerce 12.8%, construction 7.5%, personal and other services 6.4%, transport, storage, and communications 6.2%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 2.6% (1996)
Unemployment rate:
10.4% (2002 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $38.5 billion
expenditures: $45.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2002 est.)
Industries:
high-technology projects (including aviation, communications,
computer-aided design and manufactures, medical electronics), wood
and paper products, potash and phosphates, food, beverages, and
tobacco, caustic soda, cement, diamond cutting
Industrial production growth rate:
-1.5% (2002 est.)
Electricity - production:
42.24 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 99.9% hydro: 0.1% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:
37.82 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
1.457 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
80 bbl/day NA bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
260,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
NA (2001)
Oil - imports:
NA (2001)
Oil - proved reserves:
1.92 million bbl (37257)
Natural gas - production:
10 million cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
10 million cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
20.81 billion cu m (37257)
Agriculture - products:
citrus, vegetables, cotton; beef, poultry, dairy products
Exports:
$28.1 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, software, cut diamonds, agricultural
products, chemicals, textiles and apparel
Exports - partners:
US 39.2%, Belgium 6.5%, Germany 4.4%, UK 4.2% (2002)
Imports:
$30.8 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities:
raw materials, military equipment, investment goods, rough
diamonds, fuels, grain, consumer goods
Imports - partners:
US 21.6%, Belgium 8.9%, Germany 6.7%, UK 6.6%, Switzerland 4.9%,
Italy 4.5% (2002)
Debt - external:
$42.8 billion (2001 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
$720 million from US (2001 est.)
Currency:
new Israeli shekel (ILS); note - NIS is the currency abbreviation;
ILS is the International Organization for Standarization (ISO) code
for the NIS
Currency code:
ILS
Exchange rates:
new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.74 (2002), 4.21 (2001), 4.08
(2000), 4.14 (1999), 3.8 (1998)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications Israel
Telephones - main lines in use:
2.8 million (1999)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
2.5 million (1999)
Telephone system:
general assessment: most highly developed system in the Middle East
although not the largest
domestic: good system of coaxial cable and microwave radio relay;
all systems are digital
international: 3 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3
Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 23, FM 15, shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios:
3.07 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
17 (plus 36 low-power repeaters) (1995)
Televisions:
1.69 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.il
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
21 (2000)
Internet users:
1.94 million (2001)
Transportation Israel
Railways: total: 640 km standard gauge: 640 km 1.435-m gauge (2002)
Highways:
total: 16,281 km
paved: 16,281 km (including 56 km of expressways)
unpaved: 0 km (2000)
Waterways:
none
Pipelines:
gas 100 km; oil 1,509 km (2003)
Ports and harbors:
Ashdod, Ashqelon, Elat (Eilat), Hadera, Haifa, Tel Aviv-Yafo
Merchant marine:
total: 18 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 705,897 GRT/823,605 DWT
ships by type: container 17, roll on/roll off 1 (2002 est.)
Airports:
52 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 28 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 4 (2002) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 24 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 20 (2002)
Heliports: 3 (2002)
Military Israel
Military branches:
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) (includes ground, naval, and air
components with Air Defense Forces), Pioneer Fighting Youth (Nahal);
note - historically there have been no separate Israeli military
services
Military manpower - military age:
18 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 1,562,716 note: both sexes are liable for military service (2003 est.) females age 15-49: 1,516,505
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 1,279,277
females age 15-49: 1,237,926 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 51,080
females: 53,496 (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$8.97 billion (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
8.75% (FY02)
Transnational Issues Israel
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; Golan Heights
is Israeli-occupied (Lebanon claims the Shab'a Farms area of Golan
Heights)
Illicit drugs:
increasingly concerned about cocaine and heroin abuse; drugs arrive
in country from Lebanon and, increasingly, from Jordan
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
@Italy
Introduction Italy
Background:
Italy became a nation-state in 1861 when the city-states of the
peninsula, along with Sardinia and Sicily, were united under King
Victor EMMANUEL. An era of parliamentary government came to a close
in the early 1920s when Benito MUSSOLINI established a Fascist
dictatorship. His disastrous alliance with Nazi Germany led to
Italy's defeat in World War II. A democratic republic replaced the
monarchy in 1946 and economic revival followed. Italy was a charter
member of NATO and the European Economic Community (EEC). It has
been at the forefront of European economic and political
unification, joining the European Monetary Union in 1999. Persistent
problems include illegal immigration, organized crime, corruption,
high unemployment, and the low incomes and technical standards of
southern Italy compared with the prosperous north.
Geography Italy
Location:
Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central
Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia
Geographic coordinates:
42 50 N, 12 50 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 301,230 sq km
note: includes Sardinia and Sicily
water: 7,210 sq km
land: 294,020 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Arizona
Land boundaries:
total: 1,932.2 km
border countries: Austria 430 km, France 488 km, Holy See (Vatican
City) 3.2 km, San Marino 39 km, Slovenia 232 km, Switzerland 740 km
Coastline:
7,600 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate:
predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry in south
Terrain:
mostly rugged and mountainous; some plains, coastal lowlands
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mont Blanc (Monte Bianco) de Courmayeur 4,748 m (a
secondary peak of Mont Blanc)
Natural resources:
mercury, potash, marble, sulfur, natural gas and crude oil
reserves, fish, coal, arable land
Land use: arable land: 28.07% permanent crops: 9.25% other: 62.68% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
26,980 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
regional risks include landslides, mudflows, avalanches,
earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flooding; land subsidence in Venice
Environment - current issues: air pollution from industrial emissions such as sulfur dioxide; coastal and inland rivers polluted from industrial and agricultural effluents; acid rain damaging lakes; inadequate industrial waste treatment and disposal facilities
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air
Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental
Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals,
Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes,
Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94,
Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography - note:
strategic location dominating central Mediterranean as well as
southern sea and air approaches to Western Europe
People Italy
Population:
57,998,353 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 14% (male 4,193,412; female 3,947,679)
15-64 years: 67.2% (male 19,625,428; female 19,337,861)
65 years and over: 18.8% (male 4,516,995; female 6,376,978) (2003
est.)
Median age: total: 41 years male: 39.4 years female: 42.6 years (2002)
Population growth rate:
0.11% (2003 est.)
Birth rate:
9.18 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate:
10.12 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate:
2.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 6.19 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 6.82 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.4 years
male: 76.47 years
female: 82.52 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.26 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.4% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
100,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
1,100 (2001 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Italian(s)
adjective: Italian
Ethnic groups:
Italian (includes small clusters of German-, French-, and
Slovene-Italians in the north and Albanian-Italians and
Greek-Italians in the south)
Religions:
predominately Roman Catholic with mature Protestant and Jewish
communities and a growing Muslim immigrant community
Languages:
Italian (official), German (parts of Trentino-Alto Adige region are
predominantly German speaking), French (small French-speaking
minority in Valle d'Aosta region), Slovene (Slovene-speaking
minority in the Trieste-Gorizia area)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.6%
male: 99%
female: 98.3% (2003 est.)
Government Italy
Country name:
conventional long form: Italian Republic
conventional short form: Italy
local long form: Repubblica Italiana
former: Kingdom of Italy
local short form: Italia
Government type:
republic
Capital:
Rome
Administrative divisions:
20 regions (regioni, singular - regione); Abruzzi, Basilicata,
Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lazio,
Liguria, Lombardia, Marche, Molise, Piemonte, Puglia, Sardegna,
Sicilia, Toscana, Trentino-Alto Adige, Umbria, Valle d'Aosta, Veneto
Independence:
17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed; Italy was not finally
unified until 1870)
National holiday:
Republic Day, 2 June (1946)
Constitution:
1 January 1948
Legal system:
based on civil law system; appeals treated as new trials; judicial
review under certain conditions in Constitutional Court; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal (except in senatorial elections, where
minimum age is 25)
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Carlo Azeglio CIAMPI (since 13 May 1999)
elections: president elected by an electoral college consisting of
both houses of Parliament and 58 regional representatives for a
seven-year term; election last held 13 May 1999 (next to be held NA
May 2006); prime minister appointed by the president and confirmed
by Parliament
head of government: Prime Minister (referred to in Italy as the
president of the Council of Ministers) Silvio BERLUSCONI (since 10
June 2001)
cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and
approved by the president
election results: Carlo Azeglio CIAMPI elected president; percent of
electoral college vote - 70%
note: a five-party government coalition includes Forza Italia,
National Alliance, Northern League, Democratic Christian Center,
United Christian Democrats
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament or Parlamento consists of the Senate or Senato
della Repubblica (315 seats elected by popular vote of which 232 are
directly elected and 83 are elected by regional proportional
representation; in addition, there are a small number of
senators-for-life including former presidents of the republic;
members serve five-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camera
dei Deputati (630 seats; 475 are directly elected, 155 by regional
proportional representation; members serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 13 May 2001 (next to be held NA 2006);
Chamber of Deputies - last held 13 May 2001 (next to be held NA 2006)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
party - House of Liberties 177 (Forza Italia 82, National Alliance
46, CCD-CDU 29, Northern League 17, others 3), Olive Tree 128
(Democrats of the Left 62, Daisy Alliance 42, Sunflower Alliance 16,
Italian Communist Party 3, independents 5), non-affiliated with
either coalition 10, senators for life 9; Chamber of Deputies -
percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - House of Liberties
367 (Forza Italia 189, National Alliance 96, CCD-CDU 40, Northern
League 30, others 12), Olive Tree 248 (Democrats of the Left 138,
Daisy Alliance 76, Sunflower Alliance 18, Italian Communist Party 9,
independents 7), non-affiliated with either coalition 15
Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court or Corte Costituzionale (composed of 15
judges: one-third appointed by the president, one-third elected by
Parliament, one-third elected by the ordinary and administrative
Supreme Courts)
Political parties and leaders:
Center-Left Olive Tree Coalition [Francesco RUTELLI] - Democrats of
the Left, Daisy Alliance (including Italian Popular Party, Italian
Renewal, Union of Democrats for Europe, The Democrats), Sunflower
Alliance (including Green Federation, Italian Democratic
Socialists), Italian Communist Party; Center-Right Freedom House
Coalition [Silvio BERLUSCONI] (formerly House of Liberties and
Freedom Alliance) - Forza Italia, National Alliance, The Whiteflower
Alliance (includes Christian Democratic Center, United Christian
Democrats), Northern League; Christian Democratic Center or CCD
[Marco FOLLINI]; Democrats of the Left or DS [Piero FASSINO]; Forza
Italia or FI [Silvio BERLUSCONI]; Green Federation [Alfonso Pecoraro
SCANIO]; Italian Communist Party or PdCI [Armando COSSUTTA]; Italian
Popular Party or PPI [Pierluigi CASTAGNETTI]; Italian Renewal or RI
[Lamberto DINI]; Italian Social Democrats or SDI [Enrico BOSELLI];
Socialist Movement-Tricolor Flame or MS-Fiamma [Pino RAUTI];
National Alliance or AN [Gianfranco FINI]; Northern League or NL
[Umberto BOSSI]; Southern Tyrols People's Party or SVP (German
speakers) [Siegfried BRUGGER]; Sunflower Alliance (includes Green
Federation, Italian Social Democrats); The Daisy Alliance (includes
Italian Popular Party, Italian Renewal, Union of Democrats for
Europe, The Democrats); The Democrats [Arturo PARISI]; The Radicals
(formerly Pannella Reformers and Autonomous List) [Marco PANNELLA];
The Whiteflower Alliance (includes Christian Democratic Center,
United Christian Democrats); Union of Democrats for Europe or UDEUR
[Clemente MASTELLA]; United Christian Democrats or CDU [Rocco
BUTTIGLIONE]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Italian manufacturers and merchants associations (Confindustria,
Confcommercio); organized farm groups (Confcoltivatori,
Confagricoltura); Roman Catholic Church; three major trade union
confederations (Confederazione Generale Italiana del Lavoro or CGIL
[Sergio COFFERATI] which is left wing, Confederazione Italiana dei
Sindacati Lavoratori or CISL [Savino PEZZOTTA], which is Roman
Catholic centrist, and Unione Italiana del Lavoro or UIL [Pietro
LARIZZA] which is lay centrist)
International organization participation:
AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CDB, CE, CEI,
CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 7, G- 8,
G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU,
LAIA (observer), MINURSO, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS
(observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO,
UNIFIL, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOGIP, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO,
WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Sergio VENTO consulate(s): Detroit consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and San Francisco FAX: (202) 518-2151 telephone: (202) 612-4400 chancery: 3000 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Melvin F. SEMBLER embassy: Via Vittorio Veneto 119/A, 00187-Rome mailing address: PSC 59, Box 100, APO AE 09624 telephone: (06) 46741 FAX: (06) 488-2672, 4674-2356 consulate(s) general: Florence, Milan, Naples
Flag description:
three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and red;
similar to the flag of Ireland, which is longer and is green (hoist
side), white, and orange; also similar to the flag of the Cote
d'Ivoire, which has the colors reversed - orange (hoist side),
white, and green
note: inspired by the French flag brought to Italy by Napoleon in
1797
Economy Italy
Economy - overview:
Italy has a diversified industrial economy with roughly the same
total and per capita output as France and the UK. This capitalistic
economy remains divided into a developed industrial north, dominated
by private companies, and a less developed, welfare-dependent
agricultural south, with 20% unemployment. Most raw materials needed
by industry and more than 75% of energy requirements are imported.
Over the past decade, Italy has pursued a tight fiscal policy in
order to meet the requirements of the Economic and Monetary Unions
and has benefited from lower interest and inflation rates. The
current government has enacted numerous short-term reforms aimed at
improving competitiveness and long-term growth. Italy has moved
slowly, however, on implementing needed structural reforms, such as
lightening the high tax burden and overhauling Italy's rigid labor
market and over-generous pension system, because of the current
economic slowdown and opposition from labor unions.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $1.455 trillion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
0.4% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $25,100 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 2.4%
industry: 30%
services: 67.6% (2001 est.)
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.1% highest 10%: 26.6% (2000)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
27.3 (1995)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.4% (2002 est.)
Labor force:
23.6 million (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
services 63%, industry 32%, agriculture 5% (2001)
Unemployment rate:
9.1% (2002 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $504 billion
expenditures: $517 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2001 est.)
Industries:
tourism, machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, food processing,
textiles, motor vehicles, clothing, footwear, ceramics
Industrial production growth rate:
-2.8% (2002)
Electricity - production:
258.8 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 78.6% hydro: 18.4% other: 3% (2001) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:
289.1 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
556 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
48.93 billion kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
79,460 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
1.866 million bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
456,600 bbl/day (2001)
Oil - imports:
2.158 million bbl/day (2001)
Oil - proved reserves:
586.6 million bbl (37257)
Natural gas - production:
15.49 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
71.18 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
61 million cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
54.78 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
209.7 billion cu m (37257)
Agriculture - products: fruits, vegetables, grapes, potatoes, sugar beets, soybeans, grain, olives; beef, dairy products; fish
Exports:
$259.2 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities:
engineering products, textiles and clothing, production machinery,
motor vehicles, transport equipment, chemicals; food, beverages and
tobacco; minerals and nonferrous metals
Exports - partners:
Germany 13.7%, France 12.2%, US 9.8%, UK 6.9%, Spain 6.4% (2002)
Imports:
$238.2 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities:
engineering products, chemicals, transport equipment, energy
products, minerals and nonferrous metals, textiles and clothing;
food, beverages and tobacco
Imports - partners:
Germany 17.8%, France 11.3%, Netherlands 5.9%, UK 5%, US 4.9%,
Spain 4.6%, Belgium 4.4% (2002)
Debt - external:
NA
Economic aid - donor:
ODA, $1 billion (2002 est.)
Currency:
euro (EUR)
note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the
euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of
member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole
currency for everyday transactions within the member countries
Currency code:
EUR
Exchange rates:
euros per US dollar - 1.06 (2002), 1.12 (2001), 1.09 (2000), 0.94
(1999)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications Italy
Telephones - main lines in use:
25 million (1999)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
20.5 million (1999)
Telephone system:
general assessment: modern, well developed, fast; fully automated
telephone, telex, and data services
domestic: high-capacity cable and microwave radio relay trunks
international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (with a total
of 5 antennas - 3 for Atlantic Ocean and 2 for Indian Ocean), 1
Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), and NA Eutelsat; 21 submarine
cables
Radio broadcast stations:
AM about 100, FM about 4,600, shortwave 9 (1998)
Radios:
50.5 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
358 (plus 4,728 repeaters) (1995)
Televisions:
30.3 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.it
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
93 (Italy and Holy See) (2000)
Internet users:
19.25 million (2001)
Transportation Italy
Railways:
total: 19,493 km
standard gauge: 18,090 km 1.435-m gauge (11,375 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 88 km 1.000-m gauge (88 km electrified); 1,315 km
0.950-m gauge (189 km electrified) (2002)
Highways:
total: 479,688 km
paved: 479,688 km (including 6,621 km of expressways)
unpaved: 0 km (1999)
Waterways:
2,400 km
note: serves various types of commercial traffic, although of
limited overall value (2002)
Pipelines:
gas 17,448 km; oil 1,245 km (2003)
Ports and harbors:
Augusta (Sicily), Bagnoli, Bari, Brindisi, Gela, Genoa, La Spezia,
Livorno, Milazzo, Naples, Porto Foxi, Porto Torres (Sardinia),
Salerno, Savona, Taranto, Trieste, Venice (2001)
Merchant marine:
total: 462 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 8,518,900 GRT/9,963,040 DWT
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Croatia 1, Denmark 4, France 1, Greece 3, Man, Isle of
1, Monaco 7, Netherlands 6, Norway 1, Panama 2, Spain 1, Switzerland
1, Taiwan 15, Turkey 1, UK 6, US 12 (2002 est.)
ships by type: bulk 43, cargo 39, chemical tanker 98, combination
ore/oil 5, container 28, liquefied gas 39, multi-functional
large-load carrier 1, passenger 14, petroleum tanker 67,
refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 60, short-sea passenger 32,
specialized tanker 11, vehicle carrier 22
Airports:
134 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 96 over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 34 914 to 1,523 m: 30 under 914 m: 12 (2002) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 15
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 38 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 18 under 914 m: 18 (2002)
Heliports: 4 (2002)
Military Italy
Military branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, Carabinieri
Military manpower - military age:
18 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 14,450,147 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 12,349,356 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 291,529 (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$20.2 billion (2002)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.64% (2002)
Transnational Issues Italy
Disputes - international:
Croatia and Italy continue to debate bilateral property and ethnic
minority rights issues stemming from border changes after the Second
World War
Illicit drugs:
important gateway for and consumer of Latin American cocaine and
Southwest Asian heroin entering the European market; money
laundering by organized crime and from smuggling
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
@Jamaica
Introduction Jamaica
Background:
Jamaica gained full independence within the British Commonwealth in
1962. Deteriorating economic conditions during the 1970s led to
recurrent violence and a dropoff in tourism. Elections in 1980 saw
the democratic socialists voted out of office. Subsequent
governments have been open market oriented. Political violence
marred elections during the 1990s.
Geography Jamaica
Location:
Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba
Geographic coordinates:
18 15 N, 77 30 W
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 10,991 sq km
land: 10,831 sq km
water: 160 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Connecticut
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
1,022 km
Maritime claims:
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM or to edge of the continental margin
contiguous zone: 24 NM
Climate:
tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior
Terrain:
mostly mountains, with narrow, discontinuous coastal plain
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Blue Mountain Peak 2,256 m
Natural resources: bauxite, gypsum, limestone
Land use: arable land: 16.07% permanent crops: 9.23% other: 74.7% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
250 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
hurricanes (especially July to November)
Environment - current issues: heavy rates of deforestation; coastal waters polluted by industrial waste, sewage, and oil spills; damage to coral reefs; air pollution in Kingston results from vehicle emissions
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica Channel, the
main sea lanes for the Panama Canal
People Jamaica
Population:
2,695,867 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 28.6% (male 395,074; female 376,870)
15-64 years: 64.5% (male 870,486; female 869,431)
65 years and over: 6.8% (male 82,022; female 101,984) (2003 est.)
Median age:
total: 26.5 years
male: 25.8 years
female: 27.2 years (2002)
Population growth rate:
0.61% (2003 est.)
Birth rate:
17.35 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate:
5.42 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate:
-5.78 migrant(s)/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 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 13.26 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 12.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 14.3 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.85 years
male: 73.84 years
female: 77.97 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.01 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.2% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
20,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
980 (2001 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Jamaican(s)
adjective: Jamaican
Ethnic groups:
black 90.9%, East Indian 1.3%, white 0.2%, Chinese 0.2%, mixed
7.3%, other 0.1%
Religions:
Protestant 61.3% (Church of God 21.2%, Baptist 8.8%, Anglican 5.5%,
Seventh-Day Adventist 9%, Pentecostal 7.6%, Methodist 2.7%, United
Church 2.7%, Brethren 1.1%, Jehovah's Witness 1.6%, Moravian 1.1%),
Roman Catholic 4%, other, including some spiritual cults 34.7%
Languages:
English, patois English
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 87.9%
male: 84.1%
female: 91.6% (2003 est.)
Government Jamaica
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Jamaica
Government type:
constitutional parliamentary democracy
Capital:
Kingston
Administrative divisions:
14 parishes; Clarendon, Hanover, Kingston, Manchester, Portland,
Saint Andrew, Saint Ann, Saint Catherine, Saint Elizabeth, Saint
James, Saint Mary, Saint Thomas, Trelawny, Westmoreland
Independence:
6 August 1962 (from UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, first Monday in August (1962)
Constitution:
6 August 1962
Legal system:
based on English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Governor General Sir Howard Felix COOKE (since 1
August 1991)
head of government: Prime Minister Percival James PATTERSON (since
30 March 1992)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of
the prime minister
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general
appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime
minister; following legislative elections, the leader of the
majority party or the leader of the majority coalition in the House
of Representatives is appointed prime minister by the governor
general; the deputy prime minister is recommended by the prime
minister
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (a 21-member body
appointed by the governor general on the recommendations of the
prime minister and the leader of the opposition; ruling party is
allocated 13 seats, and the opposition is allocated eight seats) and
the House of Representatives (60 seats; members are elected by
popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 16 October 2002 (next to be held NA October
2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - PNP 52%, JLP 47.3%;
seats by party - PNP 34, JLP 26
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges appointed by the governor general on the
advice of the prime minister); Court of Appeal
Political parties and leaders:
Jamaica Labor Party or JLP [Edward SEAGA]; National Democratic
Movement or NDM [Bruce GOLDING]; People's National Party or PNP
[Percival James PATTERSON]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
New Beginnings Movement or NBM; Rastafarians (black
religious/racial cultists, pan-Africanists)
International organization participation:
ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-15, G-19, G-77, IADB, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAES, NAM,
OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Seymour MULLINGS
consulate(s) general: Miami and New York
FAX: (202) 452-0081
telephone: (202) 452-0660
chancery: 1520 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Sue McCourt COBB
embassy: Jamaica Mutual Life Center, 2 Oxford Road, 3rd floor,
Kingston 5
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: (876) 929-4850 through 4859
FAX: (876) 935-6001
Flag description:
diagonal yellow cross divides the flag into four triangles - green
(top and bottom) and black (hoist side and outer side)
Economy Jamaica
Economy - overview:
The economy, which depends heavily on tourism and bauxite, has been
stagnant since 1995. After five years of recession, the economy
inched ahead, by 0.8% in 2000, 1.7% in 2001, and 0.8% in 2002; the
global economic slowdown, particularly in the United States after
the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks, has stunted the economic
recovery. Serious problems include: high interest rates; increased
foreign competition; a pressured, sometimes sliding, exchange rate;
a widening merchandise trade deficit; and a growing internal debt,
the result of government bailouts to various ailing sectors of the
economy, particularly the financial sector. Depressed economic
conditions have led to increased civil unrest, including serious
violent crime. Jamaica's medium-term prospects will depend upon
encouraging investment and tourism, maintaining a competitive
exchange rate, selling off reacquired firms, and implementing proper
fiscal and monetary policies.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $10.08 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
1% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $3,800 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 6% industry: 31% services: 63% (2002 est.)
Population below poverty line: 34.2% (1992 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.7% highest 10%: 30.3% (2000)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
37.9 (2000)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
7% (2002 est.)
Labor force:
1.13 million (1998)
Labor force - by occupation:
services 60%, agriculture 21%, industry 19% (1998)
Unemployment rate:
15.4% (2002 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $2.23 billion
expenditures: $2.56 billion, including capital expenditures of
$232.5 million (FY 99/00 est.)
Industries:
tourism, bauxite, textiles, food processing, light manufactures,
rum, cement, metal, paper, chemical products
Industrial production growth rate:
-2% (2000 est.)
Electricity - production:
6.272 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 96.8% hydro: 1.8% other: 1.5% (2001) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:
5.833 billion 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: sugarcane, bananas, coffee, citrus, potatoes, vegetables; poultry, goats, milk
Exports:
$1.4 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities:
alumina, bauxite; sugar, bananas, rum
Exports - partners:
US 28.1%, Canada 12.2%, Norway 10.7%, UK 10.5%, Germany 7%,
Netherlands 5.6% (2002)
Imports:
$3.1 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, fuel,
food, chemicals, fertilizers
Imports - partners:
US 45%, Trinidad and Tobago 11%, Japan 4.7% (2002)
Debt - external:
$5.3 billion (2002 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
NA
Currency:
Jamaican dollar (JMD)
Currency code:
JMD
Exchange rates:
Jamaican dollars per US dollar - 48.42 (2002), 46 (2001), 42.7
(2000), 39.04 (1999), 36.55 (1998)
Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March
Communications Jamaica
Telephones - main lines in use:
353,000 (1996)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
54,640 (1996)
Telephone system:
general assessment: fully automatic domestic telephone network
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean); 3 coaxial submarine cables
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 10, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios:
1.215 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
7 (1997)
Televisions:
460,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.jm
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
21 (2000)
Internet users:
100,000 (2002)
Transportation Jamaica
Railways:
total: 272 km
standard gauge: 272 km 1.435-m gauge; note - 207 km, belonging to
the Jamaica Railway Corporation, were in common carrier service but
are no longer operational; the remaining track is privately owned
and used to transport bauxite (2002)
Highways: total: 18,700 km paved: 13,109 km unpaved: 5,591 km (1999 est.)
Waterways:
none
Pipelines:
petroleum products 10 km
Ports and harbors:
Alligator Pond, Discovery Bay, Kingston, Montego Bay, Ocho Rios,
Port Antonio, Rocky Point, Port Esquivel (Longswharf)
Merchant marine:
total: 5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 50,536 GRT/62,868 DWT
ships by type: bulk 1, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 2,
short-sea passenger 1
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Latvia 2, US 2 (2002 est.)
Airports:
35 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 11 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 5 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 24 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 22 (2002)
Military Jamaica
Military branches:
Jamaica Defense Force (including Ground Forces, Coast Guard, and
Air Wing), Jamaica Constabulary Force
Military manpower - military age:
18 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 755,698 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 528,689 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 27,398 (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$30 million (FY95/96 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA%
Transnational Issues Jamaica
Disputes - international:
none
Illicit drugs:
major transshipment point for cocaine from South America to North
America and Europe; illicit cultivation of cannabis; government has
an active manual cannabis eradication program; corruption is a major
concern; substantial money-laundering activity; Colombian narcotics
traffickers favor Jamaica for illicit financial transactions
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
@Jan Mayen
Introduction Jan Mayen
Background:
This desolate, mountainous island was named after a Dutch whaling
captain who indisputably discovered it in 1614 (earlier claims are
inconclusive). Visited only occasionally by seal hunters and
trappers over the following centuries, the island came under
Norwegian sovereignty in 1929. The long dormant Haakon VII
Toppen/Beerenberg volcano resumed activity in 1970; it is the
northernmost active volcano on earth.
Geography Jan Mayen
Location:
Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the Norwegian
Sea, northeast of Iceland
Geographic coordinates:
71 00 N, 8 00 W
Map references:
Arctic Region
Area:
total: 373 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 373 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly more than twice the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
124.1 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 10 NM continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation territorial sea: 4 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
Climate:
arctic maritime with frequent storms and persistent fog
Terrain:
volcanic island, partly covered by glaciers
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Norwegian Sea 0 m highest point: Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg 2,277 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:
dominated by the volcano Haakon VII Toppen/Beerenberg; volcanic
activity resumed in 1970
Environment - current issues:
NA
Geography - note:
barren volcanic island with some moss and grass
People Jan Mayen
Population:
no indigenous inhabitants
note: personnel operate the Long Range Navigation (Loran-C) base and
the weather and coastal services radio station (July 2003 est.)
Government Jan Mayen
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Jan Mayen
Dependency status:
territory of Norway; since August 1994, administered from Oslo
through the county governor (fylkesmann) of Nordland; however,
authority has been delegated to a station commander of the Norwegian
Defense Communication Service
Legal system:
the laws of Norway, where applicable, apply
Flag description:
the flag of Norway is used
Economy Jan Mayen
Economy - overview:
Jan Mayen is a volcanic island with no exploitable natural
resources. Economic activity is limited to providing services for
employees of Norway's radio and meteorological stations located on
the island.
Communications Jan Mayen
Radio broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA note: there is one radio and meteorological station (1998)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 13 (Jan Mayen and Svalbard) (2000)
Transportation Jan Mayen
Waterways:
none
Ports and harbors:
none; offshore anchorage only
Airports:
1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)
Military Jan Mayen
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of Norway
Transnational Issues Jan Mayen
Disputes - international: none
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
@Japan
Introduction Japan
Background:
While retaining its time-honored culture, Japan rapidly absorbed
Western technology during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
After its defeat in World War II, Japan recovered to become an
economic power and a staunch ally of the US. While the emperor
retains his throne as a symbol of national unity, actual power rests
in networks of powerful politicians, bureaucrats, and business
executives. The economy experienced a major slowdown starting in the
1990s following three decades of unprecedented growth.
Geography Japan
Location:
Eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the
Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula
Geographic coordinates:
36 00 N, 138 00 E
Map references:
Asia
Area:
total: 377,835 sq km
note: includes Bonin Islands (Ogasawara-gunto), Daito-shoto,
Minami-jima, Okino-tori-shima, Ryukyu Islands (Nansei-shoto), and
Volcano Islands (Kazan-retto)
water: 3,091 sq km
land: 374,744 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than California
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
29,751 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM; between 3 NM and 12 NM in the international
straits - La Perouse or Soya, Tsugaru, Osumi, and Eastern and
Western Channels of the Korea or Tsushima Strait
Climate:
varies from tropical in south to cool temperate in north
Terrain:
mostly rugged and mountainous
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Hachiro-gata -4 m highest point: Mount Fuji 3,776 m
Natural resources: negligible mineral resources, fish
Land use: arable land: 12.13% permanent crops: 1.01% other: 86.86% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
26,790 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
many dormant and some active volcanoes; about 1,500 seismic
occurrences (mostly tremors) every year; tsunamis; typhoons
Environment - current issues:
air pollution from power plant emissions results in acid rain;
acidification of lakes and reservoirs degrading water quality and
threatening aquatic life; Japan is one of the largest consumers of
fish and tropical timber, contributing to the depletion of these
resources in Asia and elsewhere
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living
Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
Geography - note:
strategic location in northeast Asia
People Japan
Population:
127,214,499 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 14.4% (male 9,368,132; female 8,906,024)
15-64 years: 67% (male 42,852,204; female 42,368,109)
65 years and over: 18.6% (male 9,945,638; female 13,774,392) (2003
est.)
Median age: total: 42 years male: 40.3 years female: 43.8 years (2002)
Population growth rate:
0.11% (2003 est.)
Birth rate:
9.61 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate:
8.55 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: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 3.3 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 3.56 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 80.93 years
male: 77.63 years
female: 84.41 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.38 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
12,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
430 (2001 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Japanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Japanese
Ethnic groups:
Japanese 99%, others 1% (Korean 511,262, Chinese 244,241, Brazilian
182,232, Filipino 89,851, other 237,914) (2000)
Religions:
observe both Shinto and Buddhist 84%, other 16% (including
Christian 0.7%)
Languages:
Japanese
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% (1995 est.)
male: NA%
female: NA%
Government Japan
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Japan
Government type:
constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government
Capital:
Tokyo
Administrative divisions:
47 prefectures; Aichi, Akita, Aomori, Chiba, Ehime, Fukui, Fukuoka,
Fukushima, Gifu, Gumma, Hiroshima, Hokkaido, Hyogo, Ibaraki,
Ishikawa, Iwate, Kagawa, Kagoshima, Kanagawa, Kochi, Kumamoto,
Kyoto, Mie, Miyagi, Miyazaki, Nagano, Nagasaki, Nara, Niigata, Oita,
Okayama, Okinawa, Osaka, Saga, Saitama, Shiga, Shimane, Shizuoka,
Tochigi, Tokushima, Tokyo, Tottori, Toyama, Wakayama, Yamagata,
Yamaguchi, Yamanashi
Independence:
660 BC (traditional founding by Emperor Jimmu)
National holiday:
Birthday of Emperor AKIHITO, 23 December (1933)
Constitution:
3 May 1947
Legal system:
modeled after European civil law system with English-American
influence; judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
20 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Emperor AKIHITO (since 7 January 1989)
note: following the resignation of Prime Minister Yoshiro MORI,
Junichiro KOIZUMI was elected as the new president of the majority
Liberal Democratic Party and soon thereafter designated by the Diet
to become the next prime minister
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the Diet designates the
prime minister; the constitution requires that the prime minister
must command a parliamentary majority; therefore, following
legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of
a majority coalition in the House of Representatives usually becomes
prime minister
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister
head of government: Prime Minister Junichiro KOIZUMI (since 26 April
2001)
Legislative branch:
bicameral Diet or Kokkai consists of the House of Councillors or
Sangi-in (247 seats - members elected for six-year terms; half
reelected every three years; 149 members in multi-seat
constituencies and 98 by proportional representation); House of
Representatives or Shugi-in (480 seats - members elected for
four-year terms; 300 in single-seat constituencies; 180 members by
proportional representation in 11 regional blocs)
election results: House of Councillors - percent of vote by party -
NA%; seats by party - LDP 110, DPJ 59, Komeito 23, JCP 20, SDP 8,
Liberal Party 8, Conservative Party 5, independents 14; distribution
of seats as of July 2001 was: LDP 115, DPJ 60, Komeito 24, JCP 20,
SDP 8, Liberal Party 8 (merged with DPJ in 2003), independents 6,
others 6; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - LDP
49.38%, DPJ 36.88%, Komeito 7.09%, JCP 1.88%, SDP 1.25%, NCP .84%;
seats by party - LDP 237, DPJ 177, Komeito 34, JCP 9, SDP 6, NCP 4,
others 13; distribution of seats as of 13 November 2003 was: LDP
244, DPJ 177, Komeito 34, JCP 9, SDP 6, others 10
elections: House of Councillors - last held 29 July 2001 (next to be
held in July 2004); House of Representatives - last held 9 November
2003 (next election has not been scheduled)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (chief justice is appointed by the monarch after
designation by the cabinet; all other justices are appointed by the
cabinet)
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party of Japan or DPJ [Naoto KAN, leader; Katsuya OKADA,
secretary general]; Japan Communist Party or JCP [Kazuo SHII,
chairman; Tadayoshi ICHIDA, secretary general]; Komeito [Takenori
KANZAKI, president; Tetsuzo FUYUSHIBA, secretary general]; Liberal
Democratic Party or LDP [Junichiro KOIZUMI, president; Shinzo ABE,
secretary general]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Mizuho
FUKUSHIMA, chairperson; Seiji MATAICHI, secretary general]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
ABEDA, AfDB, APEC, ARF (dialogue partner), AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue
partner), Australia Group, BIS, CE (observer), CERN (observer), CP,
EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer),
OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR,
UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMISET, UNMOVIC, UNRWA, UNU, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ryozo KATO
FAX: (202) 328-2187
consulate(s): Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands)
consulate(s) general: Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver,
Detroit, Hagatna (Guam), Honolulu, Houston, Kansas City (Missouri),
Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Portland (Oregon), San
Francisco, and Seattle
chancery: 2520 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: (202) 238-6700
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Howard H. BAKER, Jr. embassy: 10-5 Akasaka 1-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-8420 mailing address: Unit 45004, Box 258, APO AP 96337-5004 telephone: (03) 3224-5000 FAX: (03) 3505-1862 consulate(s) general: Naha (Okinawa), Osaka-Kobe, Sapporo consulate(s): Fukuoka, Nagoya
Flag description:
white with a large red disk (representing the sun without rays) in
the center
Economy Japan
Economy - overview:
Government-industry cooperation, a strong work ethic, mastery of
high technology, and a comparatively small defense allocation (1% of
GDP) helped Japan advance with extraordinary rapidity to the rank of
second-most-technologically-powerful economy in the world after the
US and third-largest economy after the US and China. One notable
characteristic of the economy is the working together of
manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors in closely-knit groups
called keiretsu. A second basic feature has been the guarantee of
lifetime employment for a substantial portion of the urban labor
force. Both features are now eroding. Industry, the most important
sector of the economy, is heavily dependent on imported raw
materials and fuels. The much smaller agricultural sector is highly
subsidized and protected, with crop yields among the highest in the
world. Usually self-sufficient in rice, Japan must import about 50%
of its requirements of other grain and fodder crops. Japan maintains
one of the world's largest fishing fleets and accounts for nearly
15% of the global catch. For three decades overall real economic
growth had been spectacular: a 10% average in the 1960s, a 5%
average in the 1970s, and a 4% average in the 1980s. Growth slowed
markedly in the 1990s, averaging just 1.7%, largely because of the
aftereffects of overinvestment during the late 1980s and
contractionary domestic policies intended to wring speculative
excesses from the stock and real estate markets. Government efforts
to revive economic growth have met with little success and were
further hampered in 2000-2003 by the slowing of the US, European,
and Asian economies. Japan's huge government debt, which is
approaching 150% of GDP, and the ageing of the population are two
major long-run problems. Robotics constitutes a key long-term
economic strength with Japan possessing 410,000 of the world's
720,000 "working robots." Internal conflict over the proper way to
reform the ailing banking system continues.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $3.651 trillion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
0.2% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $28,700 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1.4%
industry: 30.9%
services: 67.7% (2001 est.)
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 4.8% highest 10%: 21.7% (1993)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
24.9 (1993)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
-0.9% (2002 est.)
Labor force:
67.7 million (December 2001)
Labor force - by occupation:
services 70%, industry 25%, agriculture 5% (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate:
5.4% (2002)
Budget:
revenues: $441 billion
expenditures: $718 billion, including capital expenditures (public
works only) of about $0 NA (FY 01/02 est.)
Industries:
among world's largest and technologically advanced producers of
motor vehicles, electronic equipment, machine tools, steel and
nonferrous metals, ships, chemicals; textiles, processed foods
Industrial production growth rate:
-1.4% (2002 est.)
Electricity - production:
1.037 trillion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 60% hydro: 8.4% other: 1.8% (2001) nuclear: 29.8%
Electricity - consumption:
964.2 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
17,330 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
5.29 million bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
93,360 bbl/day (2001)
Oil - imports:
5.449 million bbl/day (2001)
Oil - proved reserves:
29.29 million bbl (37257)
Natural gas - production:
2.519 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
80.42 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
77.73 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
20.02 billion cu m (37257)
Agriculture - products: rice, sugar beets, vegetables, fruit; pork, poultry, dairy products, eggs; fish
Exports:
$383.8 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities:
motor vehicles, semiconductors, office machinery, chemicals
Exports - partners:
US 28.8%, China 9.6%, South Korea 6.9%, Taiwan 6.2%, Hong Kong 6.1%
(2002)
Imports:
$292.1 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, fuels, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles,
raw materials (2001)
Imports - partners:
China 18.3%, US 17.4%, South Korea 4.6%, Indonesia 4.2%, Australia
4.1% (2002)
Debt - external:
$NA
Economic aid - donor:
ODA, $9.1 billion (1999)
Currency:
yen (JPY)
Currency code:
JPY
Exchange rates:
yen per US dollar - 125.39 (2002), 121.53 (2001), 107.77 (2000),
113.91 (1999), 130.91 (1998)
Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March
Communications Japan
Telephones - main lines in use:
60.381 million (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
63.88 million (2000)
Telephone system:
general assessment: excellent domestic and international service
domestic: high level of modern technology and excellent service of
every kind
international: satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (4 Pacific
Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region), and
1 Inmarsat (Pacific and Indian Ocean regions); submarine cables to
China, Philippines, Russia, and US (via Guam) (1999)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 215 plus 370 repeaters, FM 89 plus 485 repeaters, shortwave 21
(2001)
Radios:
120.5 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 211 plus 7,341 repeaters note: in addition, US Forces are served by 3 TV stations and 2 TV cable services (1999)
Televisions:
86.5 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.jp
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
73 (2000)
Internet users:
56 million (2002)
Transportation Japan
Railways:
total: 23,168 km (15,995 km electrified)
standard gauge: 3,204 km 1.435-m gauge (3,204 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 77 km 1.372-m gauge (77 km electrified); 19,855 km
1.067-m gauge (12,683 km electrified); 31 km 0.762-m gauge (31 km
electrified) (2002)
Highways:
total: 1,161,894 km
paved: 534,471 km (including 6,455 km of expressways)
unpaved: 627,423 km (1999)
Waterways: 1,770 km approximately note: seagoing craft ply all coastal inland seas
Pipelines:
gas 2,719 km; oil 170 km; oil/gas/water 60 km (2003)
Ports and harbors:
Akita, Amagasaki, Chiba, Hachinohe, Hakodate, Higashi-Harima,
Himeji, Hiroshima, Kawasaki, Kinuura, Kobe, Kushiro, Mizushima,
Moji, Nagoya, Osaka, Sakai, Sakaide, Shimizu, Tokyo, Tomakomai
Merchant marine:
total: 594 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 10,467,142 GRT/13,335,833 DWT
ships by type: bulk 120, cargo 45, chemical tanker 18, combination
bulk 28, combination ore/oil 1, container 18, liquefied gas 52,
passenger 8, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 179, refrigerated
cargo 9, roll on/roll off 59, short-sea passenger 6, vehicle carrier
49
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: China 1, Panama 1, Singapore 1 (2002 est.)
Airports:
172 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 141 over 3,047 m: 7 2,438 to 3,047 m: 37 914 to 1,523 m: 27 under 914 m: 32 (2002) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 38
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 31 over 3047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 26 (2002) 914 to 1,523 m: 3
Heliports: 15 (2002)
Military Japan
Military branches:
Ground Self-Defense Force (Army), Maritime Self-Defense Force
(Navy), Air Self-Defense Force (Air Force), Coast Guard
Military manpower - military age:
18 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 29,392,559 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 25,405,779 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 725,281 (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$39.52 billion (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1% (FY02)
Transnational Issues Japan
Disputes - international:
islands of Etorofu, Kunashiri, and Shikotan, and the Habomai group
occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945, now administered by Russia,
claimed by Japan; Liancourt Rocks (Take-shima/Tok-do) disputed with
South Korea; Senkaku Islands (Diaoyu Tai) claimed by China and Taiwan
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
@Jarvis Island
Introduction Jarvis Island
Background:
First discovered by the British in 1821, the uninhabited island was
annexed by the US in 1858, but abandoned in 1879 after tons of guano
had been removed. The UK annexed the island in 1889, but never
carried out plans for further exploitation. The US occupied and
reclaimed the island in 1935. Abandoned after World War II, the
island is currently a National Wildlife Refuge administered by the
US Department of the Interior; a day beacon is situated near the
middle of the west coast.
Geography Jarvis Island
Location:
Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, about half way between
Hawaii and the Cook Islands
Geographic coordinates:
0 22 S, 160 03 W
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total: 4.5 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 4.5 sq km
Area - comparative:
about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
8 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate:
tropical; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun
Terrain:
sandy, coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing reef
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 7 m
Natural resources:
guano (deposits worked until late 1800s), terrestrial and aquatic
wildlife
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
0 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island poses a maritime
hazard
Environment - current issues:
no natural fresh water resources
Geography - note:
sparse bunch grass, prostrate vines, and low-growing shrubs;
primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds,
shorebirds, and marine wildlife
People Jarvis Island
Population:
uninhabited
note: Millersville settlement on western side of island occasionally
used as a weather station from 1935 until World War II, when it was
abandoned; reoccupied in 1957 during the International Geophysical
Year by scientists who left in 1958; public entry is by special-use
permit from US Fish and Wildlife Service only and generally
restricted to scientists and educators; visited annually by US Fish
and Wildlife Service (July 2003 est.)
Government Jarvis Island
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Jarvis Island
Dependency status:
unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Washington,
DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the
Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system
Legal system:
the laws of the US, where applicable, apply
Flag description:
the flag of the US is used
Economy Jarvis Island
Economy - overview: no economic activity
Transportation Jarvis Island
Waterways:
none
Ports and harbors:
none; offshore anchorage only; note - there is one small boat
landing area in the middle of the west coast and another near the
southwest corner of the island
Transportation - note:
there is a day beacon near the middle of the west coast
Military Jarvis Island
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the US; visited annually by the US
Coast Guard
Transnational Issues Jarvis Island
Disputes - international: none
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
@Jersey
Introduction Jersey
Background:
The island of Jersey and the other Channel Islands represent the
last remnants of the medieval Dukedom of Normandy that held sway in
both France and England. These islands were the only British soil
occupied by German troops in World War II.
Geography Jersey
Location:
Western Europe, island in the English Channel, northwest of France
Geographic coordinates:
49 15 N, 2 10 W
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 116 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 116 sq km
Area - comparative:
about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
70 km
Maritime claims: exclusive fishing zone: 12 NM territorial sea: 3 NM
Climate:
temperate; mild winters and cool summers
Terrain:
gently rolling plain with low, rugged hills along north coast
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 143 m
Natural resources: arable land
Land use: arable land: NEGL% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
NA sq km
Natural hazards:
NA
Environment - current issues:
NA
Geography - note:
largest and southernmost of Channel Islands; about 30% of
population concentrated in Saint Helier
People Jersey
Population:
90,156 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 17.8% (male 8,292; female 7,744)
15-64 years: 67.2% (male 30,178; female 30,410)
65 years and over: 15% (male 5,858; female 7,674) (2003 est.)
Median age:
total: 39.8 years
male: 39.1 years
female: 40.6 years (2002)
Population growth rate:
0.4% (2003 est.)
Birth rate:
10.44 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate:
9.17 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate:
2.77 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: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 5.43 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.03 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 5.8 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.93 years
male: 76.48 years
female: 81.57 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.57 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: Channel Islander(s)
adjective: Channel Islander
Ethnic groups:
UK and Norman-French descent
Religions:
Anglican, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Congregational New Church,
Methodist, Presbyterian
Languages:
English (official), French (official), Norman-French dialect spoken
in country districts
Literacy: definition: NA total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%
Government Jersey
Country name:
conventional long form: Bailiwick of Jersey
conventional short form: Jersey
Dependency status:
British crown dependency
Government type:
NA
Capital:
Saint Helier
Administrative divisions:
none (British crown dependency)
Independence:
none (British crown dependency)
National holiday:
Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)
Constitution:
unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
Legal system:
English law and local statute; justice is administered by the Royal
Court
Suffrage:
NA years of age; universal adult
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor and
bailiff appointed by the monarch
head of government: Lieutenant Governor and Commander in Chief Air
Chief Marshall Sir John CHESHIRE (since 24 January 2001) and Bailiff
Philip Martin BAILHACHE (since NA February 1995)
cabinet: committees appointed by the Assembly of the States
Legislative branch:
unicameral Assembly of the States (55 voting members - 12 senators
(elected for 6-year terms), 12 constables or heads of parishes
(elected for 3-year terms), 29 deputies (elected for 3-year terms);
the bailiff and the deputy bailiff; and 3 non-voting members - the
Dean of Jersey, the Attorney General, and the Solicitor General all
appointed by the monarch)
elections: last held NA (next to be held NA)
election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 52
Judicial branch:
Royal Court (judges elected by an electoral college and the bailiff)
Political parties and leaders:
none; all independents
Political pressure groups and leaders:
none
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (British crown dependency)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (British crown dependency)
Flag description:
white with a diagonal red cross extending to the corners of the
flag and in the upper quadrant, surmounted by a yellow crown, a red
shield holding the three lions of England in yellow
Economy Jersey
Economy - overview:
The economy is based largely on international financial services,
agriculture, and tourism. Potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes, and
especially flowers are important export crops, shipped mostly to the
UK. The Jersey breed of dairy cattle is known worldwide and
represents an important export income earner. Milk products go to
the UK and other EU countries. In 1996 the finance sector accounted
for about 60% of the island's output. Tourism, another mainstay of
the economy, accounts for 24% of GDP. In recent years, the
government has encouraged light industry to locate in Jersey, with
the result that an electronics industry has developed alongside the
traditional manufacturing of knitwear. All raw material and energy
requirements are imported, as well as a large share of Jersey's food
needs. Light taxes and death duties make the island a popular tax
haven.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $2.2 billion (1999 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
NA%
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $24,800 (1999 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 5%
industry: 2%
services: 93% (1996)
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.7% (1998)
Labor force:
57,050 (1996)
Unemployment rate:
0.7% (1998 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $601 million
expenditures: $588 million, including capital expenditures of $98
million (2000 est.)
Industries:
tourism, banking and finance, dairy
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - imports:
NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by France
Agriculture - products:
potatoes, cauliflower, tomatoes; beef, dairy products
Exports:
$NA
Exports - commodities:
light industrial and electrical goods, foodstuffs, textiles
Exports - partners:
UK
Imports:
$NA
Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, foodstuffs,
mineral fuels, chemicals
Imports - partners:
UK
Debt - external:
none
Economic aid - recipient:
none
Currency:
British pound (GBP); note - there is also a Jersey pound
Currency code:
GBP
Exchange rates:
Jersey pounds per US dollar - 0.6661 (2002), 0.6944 (2001), 0.6596
(2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998); the Jersey pound is at par
with the British pound
Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March
Communications Jersey
Telephones - main lines in use:
65,500 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
4,400 (1997)
Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: 3 submarine cables
Radio broadcast stations:
AM NA, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios:
NA
Television broadcast stations:
2 (1997)
Televisions:
NA
Internet country code:
.je
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
NA
Internet users:
NA
Transportation Jersey
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 577 km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km
Waterways:
none
Ports and harbors:
Gorey, Saint Aubin, Saint Helier
Merchant marine:
none (2002 est.)
Airports:
1 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)
Military Jersey
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
Transnational Issues Jersey
Disputes - international: none
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
@Johnston Atoll
Introduction Johnston Atoll
Background:
Both the US and the Kingdom of Hawaii annexed Johnston Atoll in
1858, but it was the US that mined the guano deposits until the late
1880s. The US Navy took over the atoll in 1934, and subsequently the
US Air Force assumed control in 1948. The site was used for
high-altitude nuclear tests in the 1950s and 1960s, and until late
in 2000 the atoll was maintained as a storage and disposal site for
chemical weapons. Munitions destruction is now complete. Cleanup and
closure of the facility is progressing, with completion anticipated
in 2004.
Geography Johnston Atoll
Location:
Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 717 NM (1328 km)
southwest of Honolulu, Hawaii, about one-third of the way from
Hawaii to the Marshall Islands
Geographic coordinates:
16 45 N, 169 31 W
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total: 2.8 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 2.8 sq km
Area - comparative:
about 4.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
34 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate:
tropical, but generally dry; consistent northeast trade winds with
little seasonal temperature variation
Terrain:
mostly flat
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Summit Peak 5 m
Natural resources:
guano deposits worked until depletion about 1890, terrestrial and
aquatic wildlife
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
0 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
NA
Environment - current issues:
no natural fresh water resources
Geography - note:
strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean; Johnston Island and
Sand Island are natural islands, which have been expanded by coral
dredging; North Island (Akau) and East Island (Hikina) are manmade
islands formed from coral dredging; the egg-shaped reef is 34 km in
circumference; closed to the public; a former US nuclear weapons
test site; site of Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent Disposal System
(JACADS); some low-growing vegetation
People Johnston Atoll
Population:
no indigenous inhabitants
note: in previous years, there was an average of 1,100 US military
and civilian contractor personnel present; as of September 2001,
population had decreased significantly when US Army Chemical
Activity Pacific (USACAP) departed; as of January 2003 the island
population was just above 800 personnel, including US Air Force, US
Department of Defense civilian, and civilian contractor personnel
(January 2003 est.) (July 2003 est.)
Government Johnston Atoll
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Johnston Atoll
Dependency status:
unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Honolulu, HI,
by Pacific Air Forces, Hickam Air Force Base, and the Fish and
Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the
National Wildlife Refuge system
Legal system:
the laws of the US, where applicable, apply
Flag description:
the flag of the US is used
Economy Johnston Atoll
Economy - overview:
Economic activity is limited to providing services to US military
personnel and contractors located on the island. All food and
manufactured goods must be imported.
Electricity - production:
44.2 million kWh; note - approximate annual production; there are
six 25,000 kWh generators operated by the base operating support
contractor (1999)
Electricity - consumption:
2.002 million kWh; note - approximate annual consumption
Communications Johnston Atoll
Telephone system:
general assessment: 33 commercial lines, 15 incoming and 18
outgoing; adequate telecommunications
domestic: 60-channel submarine cable (broken in January 2002), 24
DSN circuits by satellite, Automated Digital Network (AUTODIN) with
standard remote terminal, digital telephone switch, Military
Affiliated Radio System (MARS) station (scheduled for
decommissioning March 2003), UHF/VHF air-ground radio, a link to the
Pacific Consolidated Telecommunications Network (PCTN) satellite
international: NA (2002)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM NA, FM 7 (1 island-run morale, welfare, and recreation station
and 6 all-music digital radio stations broadcast over FM band),
shortwave NA (2002)
Television broadcast stations:
commercial satellite television system, with 30 channels (2002)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 256 KB circuit to US Department of Defense-run Nonsecure Internet
Protocol Router Network (NIPRNET) (2002)
Transportation Johnston Atoll
Waterways:
none
Ports and harbors:
Johnston Island
Airports:
1 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2002)
Military Johnston Atoll
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the US
Transnational Issues Johnston Atoll
Disputes - international: none
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
@Jordan
Introduction Jordan
Background:
For most of its history since independence from British
administration in 1946, Jordan was ruled by King HUSSEIN (1953-99).
A pragmatic ruler, he successfully navigated competing pressures
from the major powers (US, USSR, and UK), various Arab states,
Israel, and a large internal Palestinian population, through several
wars and coup attempts. In 1989 he resumed parliamentary elections
and gradually permitted political liberalization; in 1994 a formal
peace treaty was signed with Israel. King ABDALLAH II - the eldest
son of King HUSSEIN and Princess MUNA - assumed the throne following
his father's death in February 1999. Since then, he has consolidated
his power and established his domestic priorities, including an
aggressive economic reform program. Jordan acceded to the World
Trade Organization in January 2000, and signed free trade agreements
with the United States in 2000, and with the European Free Trade
Association in 2001.
Geography Jordan
Location:
Middle East, northwest of Saudi Arabia
Geographic coordinates:
31 00 N, 36 00 E
Map references:
Middle East
Area:
total: 92,300 sq km
water: 329 sq km
land: 91,971 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Indiana
Land boundaries:
total: 1,635 km
border countries: Iraq 181 km, Israel 238 km, Saudi Arabia 744 km,
Syria 375 km, West Bank 97 km
Coastline:
26 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 3 NM
Climate:
mostly arid desert; rainy season in west (November to April)
Terrain:
mostly desert plateau in east, highland area in west; Great Rift
Valley separates East and West Banks of the Jordan River
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
highest point: Jabal Ram 1,734 m
Natural resources:
phosphates, potash, shale oil
Land use: arable land: 2.87% permanent crops: 1.52% other: 95.61% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
750 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
droughts; periodic earthquakes
Environment - current issues:
limited natural fresh water resources; deforestation; overgrazing;
soil erosion; desertification
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
strategic location at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba and as the Arab
country that shares the longest border with Israel and the occupied
West Bank
People Jordan
Population:
5,460,265 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 35.9% (male 1,001,174; female 959,157)
15-64 years: 60.5% (male 1,764,061; female 1,541,453)
65 years and over: 3.6% (male 95,566; female 98,854) (2003 est.)
Median age:
total: 21.8 years
male: 22.4 years
female: 21.1 years (2002)
Population growth rate:
2.78% (2003 est.)
Birth rate:
23.68 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate:
2.62 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate:
6.78 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.14 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female
total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 18.86 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 14.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 22.51 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.88 years
male: 75.42 years
female: 80.5 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
less than 1,000
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Jordanian(s)
adjective: Jordanian
Ethnic groups:
Arab 98%, Circassian 1%, Armenian 1%
Religions:
Sunni Muslim 92%, Christian 6% (majority Greek Orthodox, but some
Greek and Roman Catholics, Syrian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox,
Armenian Orthodox, and Protestant denominations), other 2% (several
small Shi'a Muslim and Druze populations) (2001 est.)
Languages:
Arabic (official), English widely understood among upper and middle
classes
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 91.3%
male: 95.9%
female: 86.3% (2003 est.)
Government Jordan
Country name:
conventional long form: Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
conventional short form: Jordan
local short form: Al Urdun
local long form: Al Mamlakah al Urduniyah al Hashimiyah
former: Transjordan
Government type:
constitutional monarchy
Capital:
'Amman
Administrative divisions:
12 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Ajlun, Al
'Aqabah, Al Balqa', Al Karak, Al Mafraq, 'Amman, At Tafilah, Az
Zarqa', Irbid, Jarash, Ma'an, Madaba
Independence:
25 May 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under British
administration)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 25 May (1946)
Constitution:
8 January 1952
Legal system:
based on Islamic law and French codes; judicial review of
legislative acts in a specially provided High Tribunal; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: King ABDALLAH II (since 7 February 1999); Crown
Prince HAMZAH (half brother of the monarch, born 29 March 1980)
head of government: Prime Minister Faisal al-FAYEZ (since 25 October
2003)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister in consultation
with the monarch
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed
by the monarch
Legislative branch:
bicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-'Umma consists of the
Senate, also called the House of Notables (Majlis al-Ayan) (40
seats; members appointed by the monarch from designated categories
of public figures; members serve four-year terms) and the House of
Representatives, also called the House of Deputies (Majlis
al-Nuwaab) (110 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis
of proportional representation to serve four-year terms; note - six
seats are reserved for women and are allocated by a special
electoral panel if no women are elected)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 17 June 2003, next
to be held NA 2007
note: the House of Representatives has been convened and dissolved
by the monarch several times since 1974; in November 1989, the first
parliamentary elections in 22 years were held; political parties
were not legalized until 1992; King Abdallah delayed the 2001
elections until 2003
election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by
party - independents and others 89.6%, Islamic Action Front 10.4%;
seats by party - independents and others 92, Islamic Action Front 18
(note - one of the six quota seats was given to a female IAF
candidate)
Judicial branch:
Court of Cassation; Supreme Court (court of final appeal)
Political parties and leaders:
Al-Umma (Nation) Party [Ahmad al-HANANDEH, secretary general]; Arab
Land Party [Dr. Muhammad al-'ORAN, secretary general]; Communist
Party [Munir HAMARINAH, secretary general]; Constitutional Front
[Mahdi al-TALL, secretary general]; Jordanian Democratic Popular
Unity Party [Sa'id DHIYAB, secretary general]; Jordanian Progressive
Party [Fawwaz al-ZUBI, secretary general]; Jordanian People's
Democratic (Hashd) Party [Salim al-NAHHAS, secretary general];
Islamic Action Front [Hazma MANSOUR, secretary general]; National
Action (Haqq) Party [Muhammad al-ZUBI, secretary general]; National
Constitutional Party [Abdul Hadi MAJALI, secretary general]; (Arab)
Socialist Ba'th Party [Taysif al-HIMSI, secretary general]; Pan-Arab
(Democratic) Movement [Mahmud al-NUWAYHI, secretary general]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Anti-Normalization Committee [Ali Abu SUKKAR, president vice
chairman]; Jordanian Bar Association [Saleh ARMOUTI, president];
Jordanian Press Association [Sayf al-SHARIF, president]; Muslim
Brotherhood [Abd-al-Majid DHUNAYBAT, secretary general]
International organization participation:
ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE
(partner), PCA, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIBH,
UNMIK, UNMISET, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Karim Tawfiq KAWAR chancery: 3504 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 FAX: (202) 966-3110 telephone: (202) 966-2664
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Edward William GNEHM, Jr. embassy: Abdoun, Amman mailing address: P. O. Box 354, Amman 11118 Jordan; Unit 70200, Box 5, APO AE 09892-0200 telephone: (6) 5920101 FAX: (6) 5920121
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of black (top, the Abbassid Caliphate
of Islam), white (the Ummayyad Caliphate of Islam), and green (the
Fatimid Caliphate of Islam) with a red isosceles triangle
(representing the Great Arab Revolt of 1916) based on the hoist side
bearing a small white seven-pointed star symbolizing the seven
verses of the opening Sura (Al-Fatiha) of the Holy Koran; the seven
points on the star represent faith in One God, humanity, national
spirit, humility, social justice, virtue, and aspirations
Economy Jordan
Economy - overview:
Jordan is a small Arab country with inadequate supplies of water
and other natural resources such as oil. Debt, poverty, and
unemployment are fundamental problems, but King ABDALLAH since
assuming the throne in 1999 has undertaken some broad economic
reforms in a long-term effort to improve living standards. Amman in
the past three years has worked closely with the IMF, practiced
careful monetary policy, and made significant headway with
privatization. The government also has liberalized the trade regime
sufficiently to secure Jordan's membership in the WTrO (2000), a
free trade accord with US (2000), and an association agreement with
the EU (2001). These measures have helped improve productivity and
have put Jordan on the foreign investment map. The US-led war in
Iraq in 2003 dealt an economic blow to Jordan, which was dependent
on Iraq for discounted oil. It remains unclear how Jordan will
finance energy imports in the absence of such a deal. Other ongoing
challenges include fiscal adjustment to reduce the budget deficit
and broader investment incentives to promote job-creating ventures.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $22.63 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
4.9% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $4,300 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3.7% industry: 26% services: 70.3% (2001 est.)
Population below poverty line: 30% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.3% highest 10%: 29.8% (1997)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
36.4 (1997)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.3% (2002 est.)
Labor force:
1.36 million (2002)
Labor force - by occupation:
services 82.5%, industry 12.5%, agriculture 5% (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate:
16% official rate; actual rate is 25%-30% (2001 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $2.7 billion
expenditures: $3 billion, including capital expenditures of $614
million (2002 est.)
Industries:
phosphate mining, pharmaceuticals, petroleum refining, cement,
potash, light manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, tourism
Industrial production growth rate:
1% (2002 est.)
Electricity - production:
7.091 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 99.4% hydro: 0.6% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:
6.86 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
2 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
267 million kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
40 bbl/day NA bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
103,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
NA (2001)
Oil - imports:
NA (2001)
Oil - proved reserves:
445,000 bbl (37257)
Natural gas - production:
290 million cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
290 million cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
3.256 billion cu m (37257)
Agriculture - products: wheat, barley, citrus, tomatoes, melons, olives; sheep, goats, poultry
Exports: $2.5 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities:
phosphates, fertilizers, potash, agricultural products,
manufactures, pharmaceuticals
Exports - partners:
Iraq 20.1%, US 14.5%, India 8.1%, Saudi Arabia 5.4%, Israel 4.4%
(2002)
Imports:
$4.4 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities:
crude oil, machinery, transport equipment, food, live animals,
manufactured goods
Imports - partners:
Iraq 13.4%, Germany 8.8%, US 8%, China 6%, France 4.2%, UK 4.1%,
Italy 4.1% (2002)
Debt - external:
$8.2 billion (2002 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
ODA, $553 million (2000 est.)
Currency:
Jordanian dinar (JOD)
Currency code:
JOD
Exchange rates:
Jordanian dinars per US dollar - 0.71 (2002), 0.71 (2001), 0.71
(2000), 0.71 (1999), 0.71 (1998)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications Jordan
Telephones - main lines in use:
403,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
11,500 (1995)
Telephone system:
general assessment: service has improved recently with the
increased use of digital switching equipment, but better access to
the telephone system is needed in the rural areas and easier access
to pay telephones is needed by the urban public
domestic: microwave radio relay transmission and coaxial and
fiber-optic cable are employed on trunk lines; considerable use of
mobile cellular systems; Internet service is available
international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat, 1 Arabsat, and
29 land and maritime Inmarsat terminals; fiber-optic cable to Saudi
Arabia and microwave radio relay link with Egypt and Syria;
connection to international submarine cable FLAG (Fiber-Optic Link
Around the Globe); participant in MEDARABTEL; international links
total about 4,000
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (1999)
Radios:
1.66 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
20 (plus 96 repeaters) (1995)
Televisions:
500,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.jo
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
5 (2000)
Internet users:
212,000 (2002)
Transportation Jordan
Railways: total: 505 km narrow gauge: 505 km 1.050-m gauge (2002)
Highways: total: 7,245 km paved: 7,245 km unpaved: 0 km (2000)
Waterways:
none
Pipelines:
gas 10 km; oil 743 km (2003)
Ports and harbors:
Al 'Aqabah
Merchant marine:
total: 9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 63,522 GRT/79,776 DWT
ships by type: cargo 3, container 1, refrigerated cargo 1, roll
on/roll off 3, short-sea passenger 1
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Greece 6 (2002 est.)
Airports:
17 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 15 over 3,047 m: 7 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 under 914 m: 1 (2002) 914 to 1,523 m: 1
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2002)
Heliports:
2 (2002)
Military Jordan
Military branches:
Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF) (Royal Jordanian Land Force, Royal
Naval Force, Royal Jordanian Air Force, and Special Operations
Command or SOCOM); note - Public Security Directorate normally falls
under Ministry of Interior but comes under JAF in wartime or crisis
situations
Military manpower - military age:
18 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 1,577,136 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 1,113,787 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 58,840 (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$757.5 million (FY01)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
8.6% (FY01)
Transnational Issues Jordan
Disputes - international: none
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
@Juan de Nova Island
Introduction Juan de Nova Island
Background:
Named after a famous 15th century Spanish navigator and explorer,
the island has been a French possession since 1897. It has been
exploited for its guano and phosphate. Presently a small military
garrison oversees a meteorological station.
Geography Juan de Nova Island
Location:
Southern Africa, island in the Mozambique Channel, about one-third
of the way between Madagascar and Mozambique
Geographic coordinates:
17 03 S, 42 45 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 4.4 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 4.4 sq km
Area - comparative:
about seven times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
24.1 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate:
tropical
Terrain:
low and flat
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 10 m
Natural resources: guano deposits and other fertilizers
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (90% forest) (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
0 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
periodic cyclones
Environment - current issues:
NA
Geography - note:
wildlife sanctuary
People Juan de Nova Island
Population:
no indigenous inhabitants
note: there is a small French military garrison along with a few
meteorologists; occasionally visited by scientists (July 2003 est.)
Government Juan de Nova Island
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Juan de Nova Island
local short form: Ile Juan de Nova
local long form: none
Dependency status:
possession of France; administered by a high commissioner of the
Republic, resident in Reunion
Legal system:
the laws of France, where applicable, apply
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (possession of France)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (possession of France)
Flag description:
the flag of France is used
Economy Juan de Nova Island
Economy - overview:
Up to 12,000 tons of guano are mined per year.
Communications Juan de Nova Island
Communications - note: 1 meteorological station
Transportation Juan de Nova Island
Railways:
total: NA km; short line going to a jetty
Waterways:
none
Ports and harbors:
none; offshore anchorage only
Airports:
1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)
Military Juan de Nova Island
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of France
Transnational Issues Juan de Nova Island
Disputes - international: claimed by Madagascar
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
@Kazakhstan
Introduction Kazakhstan
Background:
Native Kazakhs, a mix of Turkic and Mongol nomadic tribes who
migrated into the region in the 13th century, were rarely united as
a single nation. The area was conquered by Russia in the 18th
century and Kazakhstan became a Soviet Republic in 1936. During the
1950s and 1960s agricultural "Virgin Lands" program, Soviet citizens
were encouraged to help cultivate Kazakhstan's northern pastures.
This influx of immigrants (mostly Russians, but also some other
deported nationalities) skewed the ethnic mixture and enabled
non-Kazakhs to outnumber natives. Independence has caused many of
these newcomers to emigrate. Current issues include: developing a
cohesive national identity; expanding the development of the
country's vast energy resources and exporting them to world markets;
achieving a sustainable economic growth outside the oil, gas, and
mining sectors; and strengthening relations with neighboring states
and other foreign powers.
Geography Kazakhstan
Location:
Central Asia, northwest of China; a small portion west of the Ural
River in eastern-most Europe
Geographic coordinates:
48 00 N, 68 00 E
Map references:
Asia
Area:
total: 2,717,300 sq km
water: 47,500 sq km
land: 2,669,800 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly less than four times the size of Texas
Land boundaries:
total: 12,012 km
border countries: China 1,533 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,051 km, Russia 6,846
km, Turkmenistan 379 km, Uzbekistan 2,203 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked); note - Kazakhstan borders the Aral Sea, now
split into two bodies of water (1,070 km), and the Caspian Sea
(1,894 km)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
continental, cold winters and hot summers, arid and semiarid
Terrain:
extends from the Volga to the Altai Mountains and from the plains
in western Siberia to oases and desert in Central Asia
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Vpadina Kaundy -132 m
highest point: Khan Tangiri Shyngy (Pik Khan-Tengri) 6,995 m
Natural resources:
major deposits of petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore,
manganese, chrome ore, nickel, cobalt, copper, molybdenum, lead,
zinc, bauxite, gold, uranium
Land use:
arable land: 11.23%
permanent crops: 0.05%
other: 88.72% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
23,320 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
earthquakes in the south, mudslides around Almaty
Environment - current issues:
radioactive or toxic chemical sites associated with its former
defense industries and test ranges throughout the country pose
health risks for humans and animals; industrial pollution is severe
in some cities; because the two main rivers which flowed into the
Aral Sea have been diverted for irrigation, it is drying up and
leaving behind a harmful layer of chemical pesticides and natural
salts; these substances are then picked up by the wind and blown
into noxious dust storms; pollution in the Caspian Sea; soil
pollution from overuse of agricultural chemicals and salination from
poor infrastructure and wasteful irrigation practices
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography - note:
landlocked; Russia leases approximately 6,000 sq km of territory
enclosing the Baykonur Cosmodrome
People Kazakhstan
Population:
16,763,795 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 25.4% (male 2,161,510; female 2,089,780)
15-64 years: 66.8% (male 5,425,545; female 5,769,457)
65 years and over: 7.9% (male 458,379; female 859,124) (2003 est.)
Median age:
total: 28.2 years
male: 26.6 years
female: 29.7 years (2002)
Population growth rate:
0.17% (2003 est.)
Birth rate:
18.36 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate:
10.78 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate:
-5.89 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.53 male(s)/female
total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 58.73 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 53.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 63.41 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 63.48 years
male: 58.16 years
female: 69.06 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.16 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
6,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 300 (2001 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Kazakhstani(s)
adjective: Kazakhstani
Ethnic groups:
Kazakh (Qazaq) 53.4%, Russian 30%, Ukrainian 3.7%, Uzbek 2.5%,
German 2.4%, Uighur 1.4%, other 6.6% (1999 census)
Religions:
Muslim 47%, Russian Orthodox 44%, Protestant 2%, other 7%
Languages:
Kazakh (Qazaq, state language) 64.4%, Russian (official, used in
everyday business, designated the "language of interethnic
communication") 95% (2001 est.)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.4%
male: 99.1%
female: 97.7% (1999 est.)
Government Kazakhstan
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Kazakhstan
conventional short form: Kazakhstan
local long form: Qazaqstan Respublikasy
former: Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic
local short form: none
Government type:
republic
Capital:
Astana; note - the government moved from Almaty to Astana in
December 1998
Administrative divisions:
14 provinces (oblystar, singular - oblys) and 3 cities* (qala,
singular - qalasy); Almaty Oblysy, Almaty Qalasy*, Aqmola Oblysy
(Astana), Aqtobe Oblysy, Astana Qalasy*, Atyrau Oblysy, Batys
Qazaqstan Oblysy (Oral), Bayqongyr Qalasy*, Mangghystau Oblysy
(Aqtau), Ongtustik Qazaqstan Oblysy (Shymkent), Pavlodar Oblysy,
Qaraghandy Oblysy, Qostanay Oblysy, Qyzylorda Oblysy, Shyghys
Qazaqstan Oblysy (Oskemen), Soltustik Qazaqstan Oblysy
(Petropavlovsk), Zhambyl Oblysy (Taraz)
note: administrative divisions have the same names as their
administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center
name following in parentheses); in 1995 the Governments of
Kazakhstan and Russia entered into an agreement whereby Russia would
lease for a period of 20 years an area of 6,000 sq km enclosing the
Baykonur space launch facilities and the city of Bayqongyr
(Baykonyr, formerly Leninsk)
Independence:
16 December 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
National holiday:
Republic Day, 25 October (1990)
Constitution:
adopted by national referendum 30 August 1995; first
post-independence constitution was adopted 28 January 1993
Legal system:
based on civil law system
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV (chairman of the
Supreme Soviet from 22 February 1990, elected president 1 December
1991)
head of government: Prime Minister Daniyal AKHMETOV (since 13 June
2003)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
election results: Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV reelected president;
percent of vote - Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV 81.7%, Serikbolsyn
ABDILDIN 12.1%, Gani KASYMOV 4.7%, Engels GABBASSOV 1.5%
note: President NAZARBAYEV expanded his presidential powers by
decree: only he can initiate constitutional amendments, appoint and
dismiss the government, dissolve Parliament, call referenda at his
discretion, and appoint administrative heads of regions and cities
elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term;
election last held 10 January 1999, a year before it was previously
scheduled (next to be held NA 2006); note - President NAZARBAYEV's
previous term was extended to 2000 by a nationwide referendum held
30 April 1995; prime minister and first deputy prime minister
appointed by the president
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (39 seats - previously
47 seats; 7 senators are appointed by the president; other members
are popularly elected, two from each of the 14 oblasts, the capital
of Astana, and the city of Almaty, to serve six-year terms) and the
Majilis (77 seats; 10 out of the 77 Majilis members are elected from
the winning party's lists; members are popularly elected to serve
five-year terms)
election results: note - the election results are for the old Senate
structure; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
NA; 16 seats up for election in 1999, candidates nominated by local
councils; Majilis - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
Otan 23, Civic Party 13, Communist Party 3, Agrarian Party 3,
People's Cooperative Party 1, independents 34; note - most
independent candidates are affiliated with parastatal enterprises
and other pro-government institutions
elections: Senate - (indirect) last held 17 September 1999 (next to
be held NA December 2005); Majilis - last held 10 and 24 October and
26 December 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (44 members); Constitutional Council (7 members)
Political parties and leaders:
Agrarian Party [Romin MADINOV]; Ak Zhol Party "White Road" [Bulat
ABILOV, Uraz ZHANDOSOV, Zhanat YERTLESOVA, cofounders]; AUL
"Village" [leader NA]; Civic Party [Azat PERUASHEV, first
secretary]; Communist Party or KPK [Serikbolsyn ABDILDIN, first
secretary]; Otan "Fatherland" [Gani YESIMOV, chairman]; Patriots'
Party [Gani KASYMOV]
note: only seven parties in Kazakhstan have been registered under
the new political party law passed in July 2002
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Adil-Soz [Tamara KALEYEVA]; Alash [Sabet-Kazy AKATAY]; AZAMAT
"Citizen" Movement [Petr SVOIK, Murat AUEZOV, and Galym ABILSEITOV,
cochairmen]; Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan [Galymzhan ZHAKIYANOV,
Nurzhan SUBKHANBERDIN, cochairmen]; Labor and Worker's Movement
[Madel ISMAILOV, chairman]; Kazakhstan International Bureau on Human
Rights [Yevgeniy ZHOVTIS, executive director]; Orleu "Development"
Movement [Seidakhmet KUTTYKADAM]; Pensioners Movement or Pokoleniye
[Irina SAVOSTINA, chairwoman]; People's Congress of Kazakhstan of
NKK [Olzhas SULEIMENOV, chairman]; People's Cooperative Party of
Kazakhstan [Umirzak SARSENOV]; Republican People's Party of
Kazakhstan or RNPK [Akezhan KAZHEGELDIN]; Socialist Party [Petr
SVOIK]
International organization participation:
AsDB, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA,
IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (associate), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OSCE,
PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTrO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Kanat B. SAUDABAYEV
FAX: (202) 232-5845
consulate(s): New York
telephone: (202) 232-5488
chancery: 1401 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Larry C. NAPPER
embassy: 99/97A Furmanova Street, Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan
480091
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: (3272) 63-39-21, 63-13-75, 50-76-23, 50-76-27
(emergency number)
FAX: (3272) 63-38-83
Flag description:
sky blue background representing the endless sky and a gold sun
with 32 rays soaring above a golden steppe eagle in the center; on
the hoist side is a "national ornamentation" in gold
Economy Kazakhstan
Economy - overview:
Kazakhstan, the largest of the former Soviet republics in
territory, excluding Russia, possesses enormous fossil fuel reserves
as well as plentiful supplies of other minerals and metals. It also
is a large agricultural - livestock and grain - producer.
Kazakhstan's industrial sector rests on the extraction and
processing of these natural resources and also on a growing
machine-building sector specializing in construction equipment,
tractors, agricultural machinery, and some defense items. The
breakup of the USSR in December 1991 and the collapse in demand for
Kazakhstan's traditional heavy industry products resulted in a
short-term contraction of the economy, with the steepest annual
decline occurring in 1994. In 1995-97, the pace of the government
program of economic reform and privatization quickened, resulting in
a substantial shifting of assets into the private sector. Kazakhstan
enjoyed double-digit growth in 2000-01 - and a solid 9.5% in 2002 -
thanks largely to its booming energy sector, but also to economic
reform, good harvests, and foreign investment. The opening of the
Caspian Consortium pipeline in 2001, from western Kazakhstan's
Tengiz oilfield to the Black Sea, substantially raised export
capacity. The country has embarked upon an industrial policy
designed to diversify the economy away from overdependence on the
oil sector, by developing light industry. Additionally, the policy
aims to reduce the influence of foreign investment and foreign
personnel; the government has engaged in several disputes with
foreign oil companies over the terms of production agreements, and
tensions continue.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $120 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
9.5% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $7,200 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 9% industry: 40% services: 51% (2002 est.)
Population below poverty line: 26% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.8% highest 10%: 27.3% (2001)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
35.4 (1996)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6% (2002 est.)
Labor force:
8.4 million (1999)
Labor force - by occupation:
industry 30%, agriculture 20%, services 50% (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate:
8.8% (2002 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $4.2 billion
expenditures: $5.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2001 est.)
Industries:
oil, coal, iron ore, manganese, chromite, lead, zinc, copper,
titanium, bauxite, gold, silver, phosphates, sulfur, iron and steel;
tractors and other agricultural machinery, electric motors,
construction materials
Industrial production growth rate:
10% (2002 est.)
Electricity - production:
52.43 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 84.3% hydro: 15.7% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:
48.36 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
3.6 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
3.2 billion kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
798,200 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
195,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
NA (2001)
Oil - imports:
NA (2001)
Oil - proved reserves:
2.709 billion bbl (37257)
Natural gas - production:
10.08 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
14.3 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
4.1 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
8.3 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
920.3 billion cu m (37257)
Agriculture - products:
grain (mostly spring wheat), cotton; livestock
Exports:
$10.3 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities:
oil and oil products 58%, ferrous metals 24%, chemicals 5%,
machinery 3%, grain, wool, meat, coal (2001)
Exports - partners:
Russia 16.2%, Bermuda 12.1%, China 11.3%, Germany 8.8%, Italy 5.5%,
Ukraine 4.9%, France 4% (2002)
Imports:
$9.6 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment 41%, metal products 28%, foodstuffs 8%
(2001)
Imports - partners:
Russia 37.1%, US 9.3%, China 9.3%, Germany 9.1% (2002)
Debt - external:
$6.6 billion (2002 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
$610 million in US assistance programs, 1992-2000
Currency:
tenge (KZT)
Currency code:
KZT
Exchange rates:
tenge per US dollar - 153.28 (2002), 146.74 (2001), 142.13 (2000),
119.52 (1999), 78.3 (1998)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications Kazakhstan
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.92 million (2001)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
400,000 (2001)
Telephone system:
general assessment: service is poor; equipment antiquated
domestic: intercity by landline and microwave radio relay; mobile
cellular systems are available in most of Kazakhstan
international: international traffic with other former Soviet
republics and China carried by landline and microwave radio relay
and with other countries by satellite and by the Trans-Asia-Europe
(TAE) fiber-optic cable; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 60, FM 17, shortwave 9 (1998)
Radios:
6.47 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
12 (plus nine repeaters) (1998)
Televisions:
3.88 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.kz
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
10 (with their own international channels) (2001)
Internet users:
100,000 (2002)
Transportation Kazakhstan
Railways: total: 13,601 km broad gauge: 13,601 km 1.520-m gauge (3,661 km electrified) (2002)
Highways: total: 81,331 km paved: 77,020 km unpaved: 4,311 km (2000)
Waterways:
3,900 km
note: on the Syr Darya (Syrdariya) and Ertis (Irtysh) rivers
Pipelines:
condensate 640 km; gas 10,527 km; oil 9,771 km; refined products
1,187 km; water 1,465 km (2003)
Ports and harbors:
Aqtau (Shevchenko), Atyrau (Gur'yev), Oskemen (Ust-Kamenogorsk),
Pavlodar, Semey (Semipalatinsk)
Merchant marine:
total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,064 GRT/646 DWT
ships by type: roll on/roll off 1
note: includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of
convenience: US 1 (2002 est.)
Airports:
488 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 60
over 3,047 m: 7
2,438 to 3,047 m: 26
1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 9 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 428
over 3,047 m: 11
2,438 to 3,047 m: 19
1,524 to 2,437 m: 44
914 to 1,523 m: 103
under 914 m: 251 (2002)
Military Kazakhstan
Military branches:
Ground Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces, Naval Force, Border
Service, Republican Guard
Military manpower - military age:
18 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 4,580,754 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 3,658,815 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 174,111 (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$221.8 million (Ministry of Defense expenditures) (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
0.9% (Ministry of Defense expenditures) (FY02)
Transnational Issues Kazakhstan
Disputes - international:
Kazakhstan and China have resolved their border dispute and are
working to delimit their large open borders to control population
migration, illegal activities, and trade; delimitation of boundary
with Russia is scheduled for completion in 2003 - delimitations with
Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are complete with demarcations underway
- delimitation with Kyrgyzstan is largely complete; equidistant
seabed treaties have been signed with Azerbaijan and Russia in the
Caspian Sea but no resolution has been made on dividing the water
column among any of the littoral states; no resolution of Caspian
seabed boundary with Turkmenistan
Illicit drugs:
significant illicit cultivation of cannabis for CIS markets, as
well as limited cultivation of opium poppy and ephedra (for the drug
ephedrine); limited government eradication of illicit crops; transit
point for Southwest Asian narcotics bound for Russia and the rest of
Europe
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
@Kenya
Introduction Kenya
Background:
Founding president and liberation struggle icon Jomo KENYATTA led
Kenya from independence until his death in 1978, when President
Daniel Toroitich arap MOI took power in a constitutional succession.
The country was a de facto one-party state from 1969 until 1982 when
the ruling Kenya African National Union (KANU) made itself the sole
legal party in Kenya. MOI acceded to internal and external pressure
for political liberalization in late 1991. The ethnically fractured
opposition failed to dislodge KANU from power in elections in 1992
and 1997, which were marred by violence and fraud, but are viewed as
having generally reflected the will of the Kenyan people. President
MOI stepped down in December of 2002 following fair and peaceful
elections. Mwai KIBAKI, running as the candidate of the multiethnic,
united opposition group, the National Rainbow Coalition, defeated
KANU candidate Uhuru KENYATTA and assumed the presidency following a
campaign centered on an anticorruption platform.
Geography Kenya
Location:
Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Somalia and
Tanzania
Geographic coordinates:
1 00 N, 38 00 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
total: 582,650 sq km
water: 13,400 sq km
land: 569,250 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly more than twice the size of Nevada
Land boundaries:
total: 3,477 km
border countries: Ethiopia 861 km, Somalia 682 km, Sudan 232 km,
Tanzania 769 km, Uganda 933 km
Coastline:
536 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate:
varies from tropical along coast to arid in interior
Terrain:
low plains rise to central highlands bisected by Great Rift Valley;
fertile plateau in west
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Kenya 5,199 m
Natural resources:
gold, limestone, soda ash, salt, rubies, fluorspar, garnets,
wildlife, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 7.03% permanent crops: 0.91% other: 92.06% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
670 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
recurring drought; flooding during rainy seasons
Environment - current issues: water pollution from urban and industrial wastes; degradation of water quality from increased use of pesticides and fertilizers; water hyacinth infestation in Lake Victoria; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; poaching
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine
Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
the Kenyan Highlands comprise one of the most successful
agricultural production regions in Africa; glaciers are found on
Mount Kenya, Africa's second highest peak; unique physiography
supports abundant and varied wildlife of scientific and economic
value
People Kenya
Population:
31,639,091
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: 41.3% (male 6,609,904; female 6,461,945)
15-64 years: 55.8% (male 8,900,615; female 8,766,698)
65 years and over: 2.9% (male 389,918; female 510,011) (2003 est.)
Median age:
total: 18.4 years
female: 18.5 years (2002)
male: 18.2 years
Population growth rate:
1.27% (2003 est.)
Birth rate:
28.81 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate:
16.01 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate:
-0.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: according to UNHCR, by the end of 2001 Kenya was host to
220,000 refugees from neighboring countries, including: Somalia
145,000 and Sudan 68,000 (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: 0.76 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 63.36 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 60.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 66.37 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 45.22 years
male: 45.02 years
female: 45.43 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.47 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
15% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
2.5 million (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
190,000 (2001 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Kenyan(s)
adjective: Kenyan
Ethnic groups:
Kikuyu 22%, Luhya 14%, Luo 13%, Kalenjin 12%, Kamba 11%, Kisii 6%,
Meru 6%, other African 15%, non-African (Asian, European, and Arab)
1%
Religions:
Protestant 45%, Roman Catholic 33%, indigenous beliefs 10%, Muslim
10%, other 2%
note: a large majority of Kenyans are Christian, but estimates for
the percentage of the population that adheres to Islam or indigenous
beliefs vary widely
Languages:
English (official), Kiswahili (official), numerous indigenous
languages
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 85.1%
male: 90.6%
female: 79.7% (2003 est.)
Government Kenya
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Kenya
conventional short form: Kenya
former: British East Africa
Government type:
republic
Capital:
Nairobi
Administrative divisions:
7 provinces and 1 area*; Central, Coast, Eastern, Nairobi Area*,
North Eastern, Nyanza, Rift Valley, Western
Independence:
12 December 1963 (from UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 12 December (1963)
Constitution:
12 December 1963, amended as a republic 1964; reissued with
amendments 1979, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1997, and 2001
Legal system:
based on Kenyan statutory law, Kenyan and English common law,
tribal law, and Islamic law; judicial review in High Court; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations; constitutional
amendment of 1982 making Kenya a de jure one-party state repealed in
1991
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Mwai KIBAKI (since 30 December 2002) and
Vice President Moody AWORI (since 25 September 2003); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Mwai KIBAKI (since 30 December 2002)
and Vice President Moody AWORI (since 25 September 2003); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
in addition to receiving the largest number of votes in absolute
terms, the presidential candidate must also win 25% or more of the
vote in at least five of Kenya's seven provinces and one area to
avoid a runoff; election last held 27 December 2002 (next to be held
NA December 2007); vice president appointed by the president
election results: President Mwai KIBAKI elected; percent of vote -
Mwai KIBAKI 63%, Uhuru KENYATTA 30%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Bunge (224 seats; 210 members
elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms, 12 so-called
"nominated" members who are appointed by the president but selected
by the parties in proportion to their parliamentary vote totals, 2
ex-officio members)
elections: last held 27 December 2002 (next to be held by early 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
NARC 125, KANU 64, FORD-P 14, other 7; ex-officio 2; seats appointed
by the president - NARC 7, KANU 4, FORD-P 1
Judicial branch:
Court of Appeal (chief justice is appointed by the president); High
Court
Political parties and leaders:
Forum for the Restoration of Democracy-People or FORD-People
[Kimaniwa NYOIKE, chairman]; Kenya African National Union or KANU
[Uhuru KENYATTA]; National Rainbow Coalition or NARC [Mwai KIBAKI] -
the governing party
Political pressure groups and leaders:
human rights groups; labor unions; Muslim organizations; National
Convention Executive Council or NCEC, a proreform coalition of
political parties and nongovernment organizations [Kivutha KIBWANA];
Protestant National Council of Churches of Kenya or NCCK [Mutava
MUSYIMI]; Roman Catholic and other Christian churches; Supreme
Council of Kenya Muslims or SUPKEM [Shaykh Abdul Gafur al-BUSAIDY]
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, C, EADB, ECA, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
(signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM, OAU, OPCW,
UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK,
UNMISET, UNMOP, UNU, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Yusuf Abdulraham NZIBO
consulate(s) general: offices in Los Angeles and New York are
closed; mission to the UN remains open
FAX: (202) 462-3829
telephone: (202) 387-6101
chancery: 2249 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Johnnie CARSON
embassy: US Embassy, United Nations Ave., Gigiti; P. O. Box 606
Village Market Nairobi
mailing address: Box 21A, Unit 64100, APO AE 09831
telephone: (2) 537-800
FAX: (2) 537-810
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green; the
red band is edged in white; a large warrior's shield covering
crossed spears is superimposed at the center
Economy Kenya
Economy - overview:
Kenya, the regional hub for trade and finance in East Africa, is
hampered by corruption and reliance upon several primary goods whose
prices remain low. Following strong economic growth in 1995 and
1996, Kenya's economy has stagnated, with GDP growth failing to keep
up with the rate of population growth. In 1997, the IMF suspended
Kenya's Enhanced Structural Adjustment Program due to the
government's failure to maintain reforms and curb corruption. A
severe drought from 1999 to 2000 compounded Kenya's problems,
causing water and energy rationing and reducing agricultural output.
As a result, GDP contracted by 0.3% in 2000. The IMF, which had
resumed loans in 2000 to help Kenya through the drought, again
halted lending in 2001 when the government failed to institute
several anticorruption measures. Despite the return of strong rains
in 2001, weak commodity prices, endemic corruption, and low
investment limited Kenya's economic growth to 1%. Growth fell below
1% in 2002 because of erratic rains, low investor confidence, meager
donor support, and political infighting up to the elections. In the
key December 27, 2002 elections, Daniel Arap MOI's 24-year-old reign
ended, and a new opposition government took on the formidable
economic problems facing the nation. Substantial donor support and
rooting out corruption are essential to making Kenya realize its
substantial economic potential.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $32.89 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
1.1% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 24% industry: 13% services: 63% (2001 est.)
Population below poverty line:
50% (2000 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 37.2% (2000)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
44.9 (1997)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.9% (2002 est.)
Labor force:
10 million (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 75% 75%-80%
Unemployment rate:
40% (2001 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $2.91 billion
expenditures: $2.97 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2000 est.)
Industries:
small-scale consumer goods (plastic, furniture, batteries,
textiles, soap, cigarettes, flour), agricultural products
processing; oil refining, cement; tourism
Industrial production growth rate:
0.9% (2002 est.)
Electricity - production:
4.033 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 71% hydro: 17.7% other: 11.3% (2001) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:
3.981 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
230 million kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
57,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
NA (2001)
Oil - imports:
NA (2001)
Agriculture - products: tea, coffee, corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruit, vegetables; dairy products, beef, pork, poultry, eggs
Exports: $2.1 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities:
tea, horticultural products, coffee, petroleum products, fish,
cement
Exports - partners:
Uganda 18.3%, UK 12.9%, US 8%, Netherlands 7.6%, Pakistan 4.9%,
Tanzania 4.4%, Egypt 4.1% (2002)
Imports:
$3 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and transportation equipment, petroleum products, motor
vehicles, iron and steel, resins and plastics
Imports - partners:
UAE 12%, Saudi Arabia 8.7%, US 8.1%, UK 7.1%, South Africa 7.1%,
France 5.8%, China 5.5%, Japan 5%, India 4.8% (2002)
Debt - external:
$5.7 billion (2002 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
$457 million (1997)
Currency:
Kenyan shilling (KES)
Currency code:
KES
Exchange rates:
Kenyan shillings per US dollar - 78.75 (2002), 78.56 (2001), 76.18
(2000), 70.33 (1999), 60.37 (1998)
Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June
Communications Kenya
Telephones - main lines in use:
310,000 (2001)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
540,000 (2001)
Telephone system:
general assessment: unreliable; little attempt to modernize except
for service to business
domestic: trunks are primarily microwave radio relay; business data
commonly transferred by a very small aperture terminal (VSAT) system
international: satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 24, FM 18, shortwave 6 (2001)
Radios:
3.07 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
8 (2002)
Televisions:
730,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.ke
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
65 (2001)
Internet users:
500,000 (2002)
Transportation Kenya
Railways: total: 2,778 km narrow gauge: 2,778 km 1.000-m gauge (2002)
Highways:
total: 63,942 km
paved: 7,737 km
unpaved: 56,205 km (2000)
Waterways:
NA
note: part of the Lake Victoria system is within the boundaries of
Kenya
Pipelines:
refined products 752 km (2003)
Ports and harbors:
Kisumu, Lamu, Mombasa
Merchant marine:
total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,893 GRT/6,320 DWT
ships by type: petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1 (2002 est.)
Airports:
230 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 19 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 211 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14 914 to 1,523 m: 113 under 914 m: 83 (2002)
Military Kenya
Military branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 8,096,142 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 5,017,501 (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$185.2 million (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.8% (FY02)
Transnational Issues Kenya
Disputes - international:
Kenya's administrative boundary still extends into the Sudan,
creating the "Ilemi triangle"
Illicit drugs:
widespread harvesting of small plots of marijuana; transit country
for South Asian heroin destined for Europe and North America; Indian
methaqualone also transits on way to South Africa; significant
potential for money-laundering activity given the country's status
as a regional financial center, massive corruption, and relatively
high levels of narcotics-associated activities
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
@Kingman Reef
Introduction Kingman Reef
Background:
The US annexed the reef in 1922. Its sheltered lagoon served as a
way station for flying boats on Hawaii-to-American Samoa flights
during the late 1930s. There are no terrestrial plants on the reef,
which is frequently awash, but it does support abundant and diverse
marine fauna and flora. In 2001, the waters surrounding the reef out
to 12 NM around the reef were designated a US National Wildlife
Refuge.
Geography Kingman Reef
Location:
Oceania, reef in the North Pacific Ocean, about half way between
Hawaii and American Samoa
Geographic coordinates:
6 24 N, 162 24 W
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total: 1 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 1 sq km
Area - comparative:
about 1.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
3 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate:
tropical, but moderated by prevailing winds
Terrain:
low and nearly level
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 1 m
Natural resources: terrestrial and aquatic wildlife
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
0 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
wet or awash most of the time, maximum elevation of about 1 meter
makes Kingman Reef a maritime hazard
Environment - current issues:
none
Geography - note:
barren coral atoll with deep interior lagoon; closed to the public
People Kingman Reef
Population: uninhabited (July 2003 est.)
Government Kingman Reef
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Kingman Reef
Dependency status:
unincorporated territory of the US; administered from Washington,
DC, by the US Fish and Wildlife Service of the Department of the
Interior
note: on 1 September 2000, the Department of the Interior accepted
restoration of its administrative jurisdiction over Kingman Reef
from the Department of the Navy; Executive Order 3223 signed 18
January 2001 established Kingman Reef National Wildlife Refuge to be
administered by the Director, US Fish and Wildlife Service; this
refuge is managed to protect the terrestrial and aquatic wildlife of
Kingman Reef out to the 12-nautical-mile territorial sea limit
Legal system:
the laws of the US, where applicable, apply
Flag description:
the flag of the US is used
Economy Kingman Reef
Economy - overview: no economic activity
Transportation Kingman Reef
Waterways:
none
Ports and harbors:
none; offshore anchorage only
Airports:
lagoon was used as a halfway station between Hawaii and American
Samoa by Pan American Airways for flying boats in 1937 and 1938
(2002)
Military Kingman Reef
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the US
Transnational Issues Kingman Reef
Disputes - international: none
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
@Kiribati
Introduction Kiribati
Background:
The Gilbert Islands were granted self-rule by the UK in 1971 and
complete independence in 1979 under the new name of Kiribati. The US
relinquished all claims to the sparsely inhabited Phoenix and Line
Island groups in a 1979 treaty of friendship with Kiribati.
Geography Kiribati
Location:
Oceania, group of 33 coral atolls in the Pacific Ocean, straddling
the equator; the capital Tarawa is about one-half of the way from
Hawaii to Australia; note - on 1 January 1995, Kiribati proclaimed
that all of its territory lies in the same time zone as its Gilbert
Islands group (GMT +12) even though the Phoenix Islands and the Line
Islands under its jurisdiction lie on the other side of the
International Date Line
Geographic coordinates:
1 25 N, 173 00 E
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total: 811 sq km
note: includes three island groups - Gilbert Islands, Line Islands,
Phoenix Islands
water: 0 sq km
land: 811 sq km
Area - comparative:
four times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
1,143 km
Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate:
tropical; marine, hot and humid, moderated by trade winds
Terrain:
mostly low-lying coral atolls surrounded by extensive reefs
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Banaba 81 m
Natural resources: phosphate (production discontinued in 1979)
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 50.68% other: 49.32% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
NA sq km
Natural hazards:
typhoons can occur any time, but usually November to March;
occasional tornadoes; low level of some of the islands make them
very sensitive to changes in sea level
Environment - current issues:
heavy pollution in lagoon of south Tarawa atoll due to heavy
migration mixed with traditional practices such as lagoon latrines
and open-pit dumping; ground water at risk
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone
Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
21 of the 33 islands are inhabited; Banaba (Ocean Island) in
Kiribati is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the
Pacific Ocean - the others are Makatea in French Polynesia, and Nauru
People Kiribati
Population:
98,549 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 39.7% (male 19,839; female 19,333)
15-64 years: 57% (male 27,705; female 28,438)
65 years and over: 3.3% (male 1,385; female 1,849) (2003 est.)
Median age:
total: 19.7 years
male: 19.3 years
female: 20.2 years (2002)
Population growth rate:
2.26% (2003 est.)
Birth rate:
31.24 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate:
8.63 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: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 51.26 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 45.82 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 56.45 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 60.93 years
male: 57.97 years
female: 64.03 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate:
4.28 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: I-Kiribati (singular and plural)
adjective: I-Kiribati
Ethnic groups:
predominantly Micronesian with some Polynesian
Religions:
Roman Catholic 52%, Protestant (Congregational) 40%, some
Seventh-Day Adventist, Muslim, Baha'i, Latter-day Saints, and Church
of God (1999)
Languages:
I-Kiribati, English (official)
Literacy: definition: NA total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%
Government Kiribati
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Kiribati
conventional short form: Kiribati
former: Gilbert Islands
note: pronounced keer-ree-bahss
Government type:
republic
Capital:
Tarawa
Administrative divisions:
3 units; Gilbert Islands, Line Islands, Phoenix Islands; note - in
addition, there are 6 districts (Banaba, Central Gilberts, Line
Islands, Northern Gilberts, Southern Gilberts, Tarawa) and 21 island
councils - one for each of the inhabited islands (Abaiang, Abemama,
Aranuka, Arorae, Banaba, Beru, Butaritari, Kanton, Kiritimati,
Kuria, Maiana, Makin, Marakei, Nikunau, Nonouti, Onotoa, Tabiteuea,
Tabuaeran, Tamana, Tarawa, Teraina)
Independence:
12 July 1979 (from UK)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 12 July (1979)
Constitution:
12 July 1979
Legal system:
NA
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Anote TONG (since 10 July 2003); Vice
President NA; note - the president is both the chief of state and
head of government
elections: the House of Parliament chooses the presidential
candidates from among their members and then those candidates
compete in a general election; president is elected by popular vote
for a four-year term; election last held 4 July 2003 (next to be
held not later than July 2007); vice president appointed by the
president
election results: Anote TONG 47.4%, Harry TONG 43.5%, Banuera BERINA
9.1%
cabinet: 12-member Cabinet appointed by the president from among the
members of the House of Parliament
head of government: President Anote TONG (since 10 July 2003); Vice
President NA; note - the president is both the chief of state and
head of government
Legislative branch:
unicameral House of Parliament or Maneaba Ni Maungatabu (42 seats;
39 elected by popular vote, one ex officio member - the attorney
general, one appointed to represent Banaba, and one other; members
serve four-year terms)
elections: first round elections last held 29 November 2002; second
round elections held 6 December 2002 (next to be held by November
2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
BTK 17, MTM 16, independents 7, other 2 (includes attorney general)
note: new legislative elections were held in two rounds - the first
round on 9 May 2003 and the second round on 14 May 2003
Judicial branch:
Court of Appeal; High Court; 26 Magistrates' courts; judges at all
levels are appointed by the president
Political parties and leaders:
Boutokaan Te Koaua Party or BTK [Taberannang TIMEON]; Maneaban Te
Mauri Party or MTM [Teburoro TITO]; Maurin Kiribati Pati or MKP
[leader NA]; National Progressive Party or NPP [Dr. Harry TONG]
note: there is no tradition of formally organized political parties
in Kiribati; they more closely resemble factions or interest groups
because they have no party headquarters, formal platforms, or party
structures
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS,
ILO, IMF, ITU, OPCW, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WTrO
(applicant)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Kiribati does not have an embassy in the US; there is an honorary
consulate in Honolulu
Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Kiribati; the ambassador to the
Marshall Islands is accredited to Kiribati
Flag description:
the upper half is red with a yellow frigate bird flying over a
yellow rising sun, and the lower half is blue with three horizontal
wavy white stripes to represent the ocean
Economy Kiribati
Economy - overview:
A remote country of 33 scattered coral atolls, Kiribati has few
natural resources. Commercially viable phosphate deposits were
exhausted at the time of independence from the UK in 1979. Copra and
fish now represent the bulk of production and exports. The economy
has fluctuated widely in recent years. Economic development is
constrained by a shortage of skilled workers, weak infrastructure,
and remoteness from international markets. Tourism provides more
than one-fifth of GDP. The financial sector is at an early stage of
development as is the expansion of private sector initiatives.
Foreign financial aid from UK, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and
China is a critical supplement to GDP, equal to 25%-50% of GDP in
recent years. Remittances from workers abroad account for more than
$5 million each year.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $79 million - supplemented by a nearly
equal amount from external sources (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
1.5% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $800 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 30%
industry: 7%
services: 63% (1998 est.)
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.5% (2001 est.)
Labor force:
7,870 economically active, not including subsistence farmers
Unemployment rate:
2%; underemployment 70% (1992 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $28.4 million
expenditures: $37.2 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2000 est.)
Industries:
fishing, handicrafts
Industrial production growth rate:
0.7% (1991 est.)
Electricity - production:
7 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:
6.51 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
190 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
NA (2001)
Oil - imports:
NA (2001)
Agriculture - products:
copra, taro, breadfruit, sweet potatoes, vegetables; fish
Exports:
$6 million f.o.b. (1998)
Exports - commodities:
copra 62%, coconuts, seaweed, fish
Exports - partners:
Japan 56.7%, Thailand 16.6%, South Korea 16.3% (2002)
Imports:
$44 million c.i.f. (1999)
Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, miscellaneous manufactured
goods, fuel
Imports - partners:
France 28.7%, Australia 26.3%, Fiji 12.5%, Japan 9.5%, Latvia 5.4%,
US 4.6%, New Zealand 4% (2002)
Debt - external:
$10 million (1999 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
$15.5 million largely from UK and Japan (1995)
Currency:
Australian dollar (AUD)
Currency code:
AUD
Exchange rates:
Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.84 (2002), 1.93 (2001), 1.72
(2000), 1.55 (1999), 1.59 (1998)
Fiscal year:
NA
Communications Kiribati
Telephones - main lines in use:
3,800 (1999)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
NA
Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
note: Kiribati is being linked to the Pacific Ocean Cooperative
Telecommunications Network, which should improve telephone service
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1
note: the shortwave station may be inactive (2002)
Radios:
17,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
1 (not reported to be active) (2002)
Televisions:
1,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.ki
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)
Internet users:
1,000 (2000)
Transportation Kiribati
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 670 km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km (1999 est.)
Waterways:
5 km (small network of canals in Line Islands)
Ports and harbors:
Banaba, Betio, English Harbour, Kanton
Merchant marine:
total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) 1,291 GRT/1,295 DWT
ships by type: passenger/cargo 1 (2002 est.)
Airports:
20 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 16 914 to 1,523 m: 12 under 914 m: 4 (2002)
Military Kiribati
Military branches:
no regular military forces; Police Force (carries out law
enforcement functions and paramilitary duties; small police posts
are on all islands)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA%
Military - note:
Kiribati does not have military forces; defense assistance is
provided by Australia and NZ
Transnational Issues Kiribati
Disputes - international: none
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
@Korea, North
Introduction Korea, North
Background:
Following World War II, Korea was split, with the northern half
coming under Communist domination and the southern portion becoming
Western-oriented. KIM Chong-il has ruled North Korea since his
father and the country's founder, president KIM Il-song, died in
1994. After decades of mismanagement, the North relies heavily on
international food aid to feed its population while continuing to
expend resources to maintain an army of about 1 million. North
Korea's long-range missile development and research into nuclear,
chemical, and biological weapons and massive conventional armed
forces are of major concern to the international community. In
December 2002, North Korea repudiated a 1994 agreement that shut
down its nuclear reactors and expelled UN monitors, further raising
fears it would produce nuclear weapons.
Geography Korea, North
Location:
Eastern Asia, northern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the
Korea Bay and the Sea of Japan, between China and South Korea
Geographic coordinates:
40 00 N, 127 00 E
Map references:
Asia
Area:
total: 120,540 sq km
water: 130 sq km
land: 120,410 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Mississippi
Land boundaries: total: 1,673 km border countries: China 1,416 km, South Korea 238 km, Russia 19 km
Coastline:
2,495 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
note: military boundary line 50 NM in the Sea of Japan and the
exclusive economic zone limit in the Yellow Sea where all foreign
vessels and aircraft without permission are banned
Climate:
temperate with rainfall concentrated in summer
Terrain:
mostly hills and mountains separated by deep, narrow valleys;
coastal plains wide in west, discontinuous in east
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 m
highest point: Paektu-san 2,744 m
Natural resources:
coal, lead, tungsten, zinc, graphite, magnesite, iron ore, copper,
gold, pyrites, salt, fluorspar, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 14.12% permanent crops: 2.49% other: 83.39% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
14,600 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
late spring droughts often followed by severe flooding; occasional
typhoons during the early fall
Environment - current issues:
water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water; water-borne
disease; deforestation; soil erosion and degradation
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Law of
the Sea
Geography - note:
strategic location bordering China, South Korea, and Russia;
mountainous interior is isolated and sparsely populated
People Korea, North
Population:
22,466,481 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 25% (male 2,845,727; female 2,763,800)
15-64 years: 67.8% (male 7,485,310; female 7,746,603)
65 years and over: 7.2% (male 541,155; female 1,083,886) (2003 est.)
Median age:
total: 31.1 years
male: 30 years
female: 32.3 years (2002)
Population growth rate:
1.07% (2003 est.)
Birth rate:
17.61 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate:
6.93 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: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.5 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 25.66 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 23.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 27.45 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.79 years
male: 68.1 years
female: 73.61 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.25 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: Korean(s)
adjective: Korean
Ethnic groups:
racially homogeneous; there is a small Chinese community and a few
ethnic Japanese
Religions:
traditionally Buddhist and Confucianist, some Christian and
syncretic Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way)
note: autonomous religious activities now almost nonexistent;
government-sponsored religious groups exist to provide illusion of
religious freedom
Languages:
Korean
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write Korean
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99%
Government Korea, North
Country name:
conventional long form: Democratic People's Republic of Korea
conventional short form: North Korea
local short form: none
local long form: Choson-minjujuui-inmin-konghwaguk
note: the North Koreans generally use the term "Choson" to refer to
their country
abbreviation: DPRK
Government type:
authoritarian socialist; one-man dictatorship
Capital:
Pyongyang
Administrative divisions:
9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 4 special cities* (si,
singular and plural); Chagang-do (Chagang Province), Hamgyong-bukto
(North Hamgyong Province), Hamgyong-namdo (South Hamgyong Province),
Hwanghae-bukto (North Hwanghae Province), Hwanghae-namdo (South
Hwanghae Province), Kaesong-si* (Kaesong City), Kangwon-do (Kangwon
Province), Najin Sonbong-si*, Namp'o-si* (Namp'o City),
P'yongan-bukto (North P'yongan Province), P'yongan-namdo (South
P'yongan Province), P'yongyang-si* (Pyongyang City), Yanggang-do
(Yanggang Province)
Independence:
15 August 1945 (from Japan)
National holiday:
Founding of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), 9
September (1948)
Constitution:
adopted 1948, completely revised 27 December 1972, revised again in
April 1992 and September 1998
Legal system:
based on German civil law system with Japanese influences and
Communist legal theory; no judicial review of legislative acts; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
17 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: KIM Chong-il (since NA July 1994); note - on 3
September 2003, KIM Chong-il was reelected Chairman of the National
Defense Commission, a position accorded the nation's "highest
administrative authority"; KIM Yong-nam was reelected President of
the Supreme People's Assembly Presidium and given the responsibility
of representing the state and receiving diplomatic credentials
elections: premier elected by the Supreme People's Assembly;
election last held NA September 1998 (next to be held NA)
election results: HONG Song-nam elected premier; percent of Supreme
People's Assembly vote - NA%
cabinet: Cabinet (Naegak), members, except for the Minister of
People's Armed Forces, are appointed by the Supreme People's Assembly
head of government: Premier PAK Pong-chu (since 3 September 2003);
Vice Premiers KWAK Pom-ki (since 5 September 1998), CHON Sung-hun
(since 3 September 2003), NO Tu-chol (since 3 September 2003)
Legislative branch:
unicameral Supreme People's Assembly or Ch'oego Inmin Hoeui (687
seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 3 August 2003 (next to be held in August 2008)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
NA; the KWP approves a list of candidates who are elected without
opposition; some seats are held by minor parties
Judicial branch:
Central Court (judges are elected by the Supreme People's Assembly)
Political parties and leaders:
Chondoist Chongu Party [YU Mi-yong, chairwoman]; Social Democratic
Party [KIM Yong-tae, chairman]; major party - Korean Workers' Party
or KWP [KIM Chong-il, general secretary]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
ARF (dialogue partner), ESCAP, FAO, G-77, ICAO, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS,
IHO, IMO, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none; note - North Korea has a Permanent Mission to the UN in New
York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (Swedish Embassy in P'yongyang represents the US as consular
protecting power)
Flag description:
three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (triple width), and blue;
the red band is edged in white; on the hoist side of the red band is
a white disk with a red five-pointed star
Economy Korea, North
Economy - overview:
North Korea, one of the world's most centrally planned and isolated
economies, faces desperate economic conditions. Industrial capital
stock is nearly beyond repair as a result of years of
underinvestment and spare parts shortages. Industrial and power
output have declined in parallel. The nation has suffered its tenth
year of food shortages because of a lack of arable land; collective
farming; weather-related problems, including major drought in 2000;
and chronic shortages of fertilizer and fuel. Massive international
food aid deliveries have allowed the regime to escape mass
starvation since 1995-96, but the population remains the victim of
prolonged malnutrition and deteriorating living conditions.
Large-scale military spending eats up resources needed for
investment and civilian consumption. Recently, the regime has placed
emphasis on earning hard currency, developing information
technology, addressing power shortages, and attracting foreign aid,
but in no way at the expense of relinquishing central control over
key national assets or undergoing widespread market-oriented
reforms. In 2003, heightened political tensions with key donor
countries and general donor fatigue have held down the flow of
desperately needed food aid and have threatened fuel aid as well.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $22.26 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
1% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,000 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 30.4%
industry: 32.3%
services: 37.3% (2000 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:
9.6 million
Labor force - by occupation:
agricultural 36%, nonagricultural 64%
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget:
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Industries:
military products; machine building, electric power, chemicals;
mining (coal, iron ore, magnesite, graphite, copper, zinc, lead, and
precious metals), metallurgy; textiles, food processing; tourism
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
30.01 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 29% hydro: 71% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:
27.91 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
85,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
NA (2001)
Oil - imports:
NA (2001)
Agriculture - products:
rice, corn, potatoes, soybeans, pulses; cattle, pigs, pork, eggs
Exports:
$842 million f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Exports - commodities:
minerals, metallurgical products, manufactures (including
armaments); textiles and fishery products
Exports - partners:
China 23.5%, Japan 19.9%, Costa Rica 12.4%, Brazil 6.5% (2002)
Imports:
$1.314 billion c.i.f. (2001 est.)
Imports - commodities:
petroleum, coking coal, machinery and equipment; textiles, grain
Imports - partners:
China 24.9%, Brazil 12.1%, India 9.2%, Thailand 9.2%, Germany 7.8%,
Japan 7.1%, Singapore 4.5%, Qatar 4% (2002)
Debt - external:
$12 billion (1996 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
$NA; note - nearly $300 million in food aid alone from US, South
Korea, Japan, and EU in 2001 plus much additional aid from the UN
and non-governmental organizations
Currency:
North Korean won (KPW)
Currency code:
KPW
Exchange rates:
official: North Korean won per US dollar - 150 (December 2002),
2.15 (December 2001), 2.15 (May 1994), 2.13 (May 1992), 2.14
(September 1991), 2.1 (January 1990); market: North Korean won per
US dollar - 300-600 (December 2002), 200 (December 2001)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications Korea, North
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.1 million (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
NA
Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
and 1 Russian (Indian Ocean region); other international connections
through Moscow and Beijing
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 16, FM 14, shortwave 12 (1999)
Radios:
3.36 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
38 (1999)
Televisions:
1.2 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.kp
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)
Internet users:
NA
Transportation Korea, North
Railways:
total: 5,214 km
standard gauge: 4,549 km 1.435-m gauge (3,500 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 665 km 0.762-m gauge (2002)
Highways:
total: 31,200 km
paved: 1,997 km
unpaved: 29,203 km (1999 est.)
Waterways: 2,253 km note: mostly navigable by small craft only
Pipelines:
oil 136 km (2003)
Ports and harbors:
Ch'ongjin, Haeju, Hungnam (Hamhung), Kimch'aek, Kosong, Najin,
Namp'o, Sinuiju, Songnim, Sonbong (formerly Unggi), Ungsang, Wonsan
Merchant marine:
total: 149 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 881,276 GRT/1,309,547 DWT
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Denmark 1, Greece 2, Pakistan 1, Singapore 1 (2002 est.)
ships by type: bulk 8, cargo 120, combination bulk 2, container 1,
multi-functional large-load carrier 1, passenger 2, passenger/cargo
1, petroleum tanker 8, refrigerated cargo 4, short-sea passenger 2
Airports:
72 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 34 over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 18 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 3 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 38 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 18 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 7 (2002)
Military Korea, North
Military branches:
Korean People's Army (includes Army, Navy, Air Force), Civil
Security Forces
Military manpower - military age:
18 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 6,103,615 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 3,654,223 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 180,875 (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$5,217.4 million (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
33.9% (FY02)
Transnational Issues Korea, North
Disputes - international:
with China, certain islands in Yalu and Tumen rivers are in
uncontested dispute; a section of boundary around Paektu-san
(mountain) is indefinite; China objects to illegal migration of
North Koreans into northern China; Military Demarcation Line within
the 4-km wide Demilitarized Zone has separated North from South
Korea since 1953
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
@Korea, South
Introduction Korea, South
Background:
After World War II, a republic was set up in the southern half of
the Korean Peninsula while a Communist-style government was
installed in the north. During the Korean War (1950-1953), US and
other UN forces intervened to defend South Korea from North Korean
attacks supported by the Chinese. An armistice was signed in 1953,
splitting the Peninsula along a demilitarized zone at about the 38th
parallel. Thereafter, South Korea achieved rapid economic growth
with per capita income rising to roughly 20 times the level of North
Korea. South Korea has maintained its commitment to democratize its
political processes. In June 2000, a historic first North-South
summit took place between the South's President KIM Dae-jung and the
North's leader KIM Chong-il.
Geography Korea, South
Location:
Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the
Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea
Geographic coordinates:
37 00 N, 127 30 E
Map references:
Asia
Area:
total: 98,480 sq km
land: 98,190 sq km
water: 290 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Indiana
Land boundaries: total: 238 km border countries: North Korea 238 km
Coastline:
2,413 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM; between 3 NM and 12 NM in the Korea Strait
continental shelf: not specified
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
Climate:
temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter
Terrain:
mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 m highest point: Halla-san 1,950 m
Natural resources: coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower potential
Land use: arable land: 17.44% permanent crops: 2.05% other: 80.51% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
11,590 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; low-level seismic
activity common in southwest
Environment - current issues:
air pollution in large cities; acid rain; water pollution from the
discharge of sewage and industrial effluents; drift net fishing
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living
Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical
Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography - note:
strategic location on Korea Strait
People Korea, South
Population:
48,289,037 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 20.6% (male 5,256,451; female 4,703,853)
15-64 years: 71.5% (male 17,527,407; female 16,991,229)
65 years and over: 7.9% (male 1,512,157; female 2,297,940) (2003
est.)
Median age: total: 33.2 years male: 32.2 years female: 34.2 years (2002)
Population growth rate:
0.66% (2003 est.)
Birth rate:
12.6 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate:
6.03 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.1 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.12 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 7.31 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 7.77 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.36 years
male: 71.73 years
female: 79.32 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.56 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
4,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
220 (2001 est.)
Nationality: noun: Korean(s) adjective: Korean
Ethnic groups:
homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese)
Religions:
Christian 49%, Buddhist 47%, Confucianist 3%, Shamanist, Chondogyo
(Religion of the Heavenly Way), and other 1%
Languages:
Korean, English widely taught in junior high and high school
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.1%
male: 99.3%
female: 97% (2003 est.)
Government Korea, South
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Korea
conventional short form: South Korea
local short form: none
note: the South Koreans generally use the term "Han'guk" to refer to
their country
local long form: Taehan-min'guk
abbreviation: ROK
Government type:
republic
Capital:
Seoul
Administrative divisions:
9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 7 metropolitan cities*
(gwangyoksi, singular and plural); Cheju-do, Cholla-bukto,
Cholla-namdo, Ch'ungch'ong-bukto, Ch'ungch'ong-namdo,
Inch'on-gwangyoksi*, Kangwon-do, Kwangju-gwangyoksi*, Kyonggi-do,
Kyongsang-bukto, Kyongsang-namdo, Pusan-gwangyoksi*,
Soul-t'ukpyolsi*, Taegu-gwangyoksi*, Taejon-gwangyoksi*,
Ulsan-gwangyoksi*
Independence:
15 August 1945 (from Japan)
National holiday:
Liberation Day, 15 August (1945)
Constitution:
17 July 1948
Legal system:
combines elements of continental European civil law systems,
Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought
Suffrage:
20 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President NO Mu-hyun (ROH Moo-hyun) (since 25
February 2003)
head of government: Prime Minister KO Kun (KOH Kun) (since 27
February 2003); Deputy Prime Ministers KIM Chin-p'yo (KIM Jin-pyo)
(since 27 February 2003) and YUN Tok-hong (since 6 March 2003)
cabinet: State Council appointed by the president on the prime
minister's recommendation
elections: president elected by popular vote for a single five-year
term; election last held 19 December 2002 (next to be held NA
December 2007); prime minister appointed by the president; deputy
prime ministers appointed by the president on the prime minister's
recommendation
election results: results of the 19 December 2002 election - NO
Muh-hyun elected president, took office 25 February 2003; percent of
vote - NO Muh-hyun (MDP) 48.9%; YI Hoe-ch'ang (GNP) 46.6%; other 4.5%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Kukhoe (273 seats total - 227
elected by direct, popular vote; members serve four-year terms);
note - beginning in 2004, all members will be directly elected;
possible redistricting before 2004 may affect the number of seats in
the National Assembly
elections: last held 13 April 2000 (next to be held NA April 2004)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
GNP 133, MDP 115, ULD 17, other 8; note - the distribution of seats
as of April 2003 was: GNP 153, MDP 101, ULD 11, DPP 1, PPR 1,
independents 5; one seat vacant
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (justices are appointed by the president with the
consent of the National Assembly)
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic People's Party or DPP [leader NA]; Grand National Party
or GNP [CH'OE Pyong-ryol, chairman]; Millennium Democratic Party or
MDP [CHO Sun-hyong, chairman]; United Liberal Democrats or ULD [KIM
Chong-p'il, president]; Uri Party [KIM Kun-t'ae, chairman]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Federation of Korean Industries; Federation of Korean Trade Unions;
Korean Confederation of Trade Unions; Korean National Council of
Churches; Korean Traders Association; Korean Veterans' Association;
National Council of Labor Unions; National Democratic Alliance of
Korea; National Federation of Farmers' Associations; National
Federation of Student Associations
International organization participation:
AfDB, APEC, ARF (dialogue partner), AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner),
Australia Group, BIS, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IEA (observer), IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM (guest),
NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMISET, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG,
UNU, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador HAN Sung-chu (HAN Sung-joo)
consulate(s): New York, Tamuning (Guam)
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston,
Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle
FAX: (202) 387-0205
telephone: (202) 939-5600
chancery: 2450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas C. HUBBARD embassy: 82 Sejong-no, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-710 mailing address: American Embassy, Unit 15550, APO AP 96205-5550 telephone: (2) 397-4114 FAX: (2) 738-8845
Flag description:
white with a red (top) and blue yin-yang symbol in the center;
there is a different black trigram from the ancient I Ching (Book of
Changes) in each corner of the white field
Economy Korea, South
Economy - overview:
As one of the Four Tigers of East Asia, South Korea has achieved an
incredible record of growth and integration into the high-tech
modern world economy. Three decades ago GDP per capita was
comparable with levels in the poorer countries of Africa and Asia.
Today its GDP per capita is 18 times North Korea's and equal to the
lesser economies of the European Union. This success through the
late 1980s was achieved by a system of close government/business
ties, including directed credit, import restrictions, sponsorship of
specific industries, and a strong labor effort. The government
promoted the import of raw materials and technology at the expense
of consumer goods and encouraged savings and investment over
consumption. The Asian financial crisis of 1997-99 exposed
longstanding weaknesses in South Korea's development model,
including high debt/equity ratios, massive foreign borrowing, and an
undisciplined financial sector. Growth plunged to a negative 6.6% in
1998, then strongly recovered to 10.8% in 1999 and 9.2% in 2000.
Growth fell back to 3.3% in 2001 because of the slowing global
economy, falling exports, and the perception that much-needed
corporate and financial reforms had stalled. Led by consumer
spending and exports, growth in 2002 was an impressive 6.2%, despite
anemic global growth, followed by moderate 2.8% growth in 2003. In
2003 the six-day work week was reduced to five days.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $941.5 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
6.3% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $19,600 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 4.4% industry: 41.6% services: 54% (2001 est.)
Population below poverty line: 4% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.6% highest 10%: 24.8% (1998 est.)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
31.6 (1993)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.8% (2002 est.)
Labor force:
22 million (2001)
Labor force - by occupation:
services 69%, industry 21.5%, agriculture 9.5% (2001)
Unemployment rate:
3.1% (2002 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $118.1 billion
expenditures: $95.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $22.6
billion (2000)
Industries:
electronics, automobile production, chemicals, shipbuilding, steel,
textiles, clothing, footwear, food processing
Industrial production growth rate:
6.5% (2002 est.)
Electricity - production:
290.7 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 62.4% hydro: 0.8% other: 0.2% (2001) nuclear: 36.6%
Electricity - consumption:
270.3 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
2.14 million bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
804,700 bbl/day (2001)
Oil - imports:
2.965 million bbl/day (2001)
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
20.92 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
21.11 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Agriculture - products: rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs, chickens, milk, eggs; fish
Exports: $162.6 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities: electronic products, machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, steel, ships; textiles, clothing, footwear; fish
Exports - partners:
US 20.4%, China 14.7%, Japan 9.4%, Hong Kong 6.3% (2002)
Imports:
$148.4 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel,
transport equipment, textiles, organic chemicals, grains
Imports - partners:
Japan 19.6%, US 15.2%, China 11.4%, Saudi Arabia 5% (2002)
Debt - external:
$135.2 billion (yearend 2002 est.)
Economic aid - donor:
ODA $200 million
Currency:
South Korean won (KRW)
Currency code:
KRW
Exchange rates:
South Korean won per US dollar - 1,251.09 (2002), 1,290.99 (2001),
1,130.96 (2000), 1,188.82 (1999), 1,401.44 (1998)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications Korea, South
Telephones - main lines in use:
24 million (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
28 million (September 2000)
Telephone system:
general assessment: excellent domestic and international services
domestic: NA
international: fiber-optic submarine cable to China; the
Russia-Korea-Japan submarine cable; satellite earth stations - 3
Intelsat (2 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat
(Pacific Ocean region)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 104, FM 136, shortwave 5 (2001)
Radios:
47.5 million (2000)
Television broadcast stations:
121 (plus 850 repeater stations and the eight-channel American
Forces Korea Network) (1999)
Televisions:
15.9 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.kr
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
11 (2000)
Internet users:
25.6 million (2002)
Transportation Korea, South
Railways: total: 3,125 km standard gauge: 3,125 km 1.435-m gauge (661 km electrified) (2002)
Highways:
total: 86,990 km
paved: 64,808 km (including 1,996 km of expressways)
unpaved: 22,182 km (1999 est.)
Waterways: 1,609 km note: restricted to small native craft
Pipelines:
gas 1,433 km; refined products 827 km (2003)
Ports and harbors:
Chinhae, Inch'on, Kunsan, Masan, Mokp'o, P'ohang, Pusan,
Tonghae-hang, Ulsan, Yosu
Merchant marine:
total: 541 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 6,490,521 GRT/10,602,751 DWT
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Australia 1, Bulgaria 1, China 1, Greece 1, Japan 1,
Malaysia 1, Norway 1, Panama 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1,
UK 1 (2002 est.)
ships by type: bulk 114, cargo 174, chemical tanker 63, combination
bulk 9, container 52, liquefied gas 17, passenger 3, petroleum
tanker 69, refrigerated cargo 21, roll on/roll off 6, short-sea
passenger 2, specialized tanker 6, vehicle carrier 5
Airports:
102 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 69 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 18 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 21 (2002) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 16
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 33 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 31 (2002)
Heliports: 204 (2002)
Military Korea, South
Military branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, National Maritime Police
(Coast Guard)
Military manpower - military age:
18 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 14,252,851 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 8,994,941 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 345,331 (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$13,094.3 million (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.8% (FY02)
Transnational Issues Korea, South
Disputes - international:
Military Demarcation Line within the 4-km wide Demilitarized Zone
has separated North from South Korea since 1953; Liancourt Rocks
(Take-shima/Tok-do) are disputed with Japan
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
@Kuwait
Introduction Kuwait
Background:
Britain oversaw foreign relations and defense for the ruling
Kuwaiti AL-SABAH dynasty from 1899 until independence in 1961.
Kuwait was attacked and overrun by Iraq on 2 August 1990. Following
several weeks of aerial bombardment, a US-led, UN coalition began a
ground assault on 23 February 1991 that liberated Kuwait in four
days. Kuwait spent more than $5 billion to repair oil infrastructure
damaged during 1990-91.
Geography Kuwait
Location:
Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi
Arabia
Geographic coordinates:
29 30 N, 45 45 E
Map references:
Middle East
Area:
total: 17,820 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 17,820 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries: total: 462 km border countries: Iraq 240 km, Saudi Arabia 222 km
Coastline:
499 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate:
dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters
Terrain:
flat to slightly undulating desert plain
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: unnamed location 306 m
Natural resources: petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas
Land use: arable land: 0.34% permanent crops: 0.06% other: 99.6% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
60 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
sudden cloudbursts are common from October to April and bring heavy
rain, which can damage roads and houses; sandstorms and dust storms
occur throughout the year, but are most common between March and
August
Environment - current issues:
limited natural fresh water resources; some of world's largest and
most sophisticated desalination facilities provide much of the
water; air and water pollution; desertification
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Marine
Dumping
Geography - note:
strategic location at head of Persian Gulf
People Kuwait
Population: 2,183,161 note: includes 1,291,354 non-nationals (July 2003 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 27.9% (male 310,008; female 298,474)
15-64 years: 69.5% (male 970,282; female 547,753)
65 years and over: 2.6% (male 36,306; female 20,338) (2003 est.)
Median age:
total: 25.9 years
male: 28.4 years
female: 21.8 years (2002)
Population growth rate:
3.34%
note: this rate reflects a return to pre-Gulf crisis immigration of
expatriates (2003 est.)
Birth rate:
21.83 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate:
2.45 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate:
14.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.77 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.79 male(s)/female
total population: 1.52 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 10.57 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 11.58 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 9.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.65 years
male: 75.72 years
female: 77.62 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.08 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.12% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Kuwaiti(s)
adjective: Kuwaiti
Ethnic groups:
Kuwaiti 45%, other Arab 35%, South Asian 9%, Iranian 4%, other 7%
Religions:
Muslim 85% (Sunni 70%, Shi'a 30%), Christian, Hindu, Parsi, and
other 15%
Languages:
Arabic (official), English widely spoken
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 83.5%
male: 85.1%
female: 81.7% (2003 est.)
Government Kuwait
Country name:
conventional long form: State of Kuwait
conventional short form: Kuwait
local short form: Al Kuwayt
local long form: Dawlat al Kuwayt
Government type:
nominal constitutional monarchy
Capital:
Kuwait
Administrative divisions:
5 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Ahmadi, Al
Farwaniyah, Al 'Asimah, Al Jahra', Hawalli
Independence:
19 June 1961 (from UK)
National holiday:
National Day, 25 February (1950)
Constitution:
approved and promulgated 11 November 1962
Legal system:
civil law system with Islamic law significant in personal matters;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
adult males who have been naturalized for 30 years or more or have
resided in Kuwait since before 1920 and their male descendants at
age 21
note: only 10% of all citizens are eligible to vote; in 1996,
naturalized citizens who do not meet the pre-1920 qualification but
have been naturalized for 30 years were eligible to vote for the
first time
Executive branch:
chief of state: Amir JABIR al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al Sabah (since 31
December 1977)
head of government: Prime Minister SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir Al Sabah
(since 13 July 2003); First Deputy Prime Minister NAWWAF al-Ahmad Al
Sabah (since 2003); Deputy Prime Ministers JABIR MUBARAK al-Hamad Al
Sabah (since 2001) and Muhammad Dayfallah al-SHARAR (since 2003)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister and
approved by the monarch
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister and
deputy prime ministers appointed by the monarch
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Majlis al-Umma (50 seats; members
elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 6 July 2003 (next to be held NA 2007)
election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - Islamists 21,
government supporters 14, liberals 3, and independents 12; note -
all cabinet ministers are also ex officio members of the National
Assembly
Judicial branch:
High Court of Appeal
Political parties and leaders:
none; formation of political parties is illegal
Political pressure groups and leaders:
several political groups act as de facto parties: Bedouins,
merchants, Sunni and Shi'a activists, and secular leftists and
nationalists
International organization participation:
ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, BDEAC, CAEU, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC,
OPCW, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Sheikh SALIM al-Abdallah Jabir Al Sabah
FAX: (202) 966-0517
telephone: (202) 966-0702
chancery: 2940 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Richard H. JONES
embassy: Bayan, Area 14, Al-Masjed Al-Aqsa Street (near the Bayan
palace), Kuwait City
mailing address: P. O. Box 77 Safat, 13001 Safat, Kuwait Unit 69000,
APO AE 09880-9000
telephone: 539-5307, ext. 2240
FAX: 538-0282
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a
black trapezoid based on the hoist side
Economy Kuwait
Economy - overview:
Kuwait is a small, rich, relatively open economy with proved crude
oil reserves of about 98 billion barrels - 10% of world reserves.
Petroleum accounts for nearly half of GDP, 95% of export revenues,
and 80% of government income. Kuwait's climate limits agricultural
development. Consequently, with the exception of fish, it depends
almost wholly on food imports. About 75% of potable water must be
distilled or imported. Kuwait continues its discussions with foreign
oil companies to develop fields in the northern part of the country.
Oil production declined by an estimated 8% in 2002 but is expected
to return to the 2001 level in 2003.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $36.85 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-2% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $17,500 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 60%
industry: 39.7%
services: 0.3% (2000)
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2% (2002 est.)
Labor force:
1.3 million
note: non-Kuwaitis represent about 80% of the labor force. (1998
est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture NA, industries NA, services NA
Unemployment rate:
7% (2002 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $11 billion
expenditures: $17.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(FY 02/03)
Industries:
petroleum, petrochemicals, desalination, food processing,
construction materials
Industrial production growth rate:
-5% (2002 est.)
Electricity - production:
31.49 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:
29.29 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
2.117 million bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
273,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
NA (2001)
Oil - imports:
NA (2001)
Oil - proved reserves:
97.68 billion bbl (37257)
Natural gas - production:
9.5 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
9.5 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:
1.548 trillion cu m (37257)
Agriculture - products:
practically no crops; fish
Exports:
$16 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities:
oil and refined products, fertilizers
Exports - partners:
Japan 24.4%, South Korea 12.9%, US 11.9%, Singapore 10.1%, Taiwan
7%, Netherlands 4.5%, Pakistan 4.4% (2002)
Imports:
$7.3 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities:
food, construction materials, vehicles and parts, clothing
Imports - partners:
US 13.1%, Japan 11.1%, Germany 9.7%, Saudi Arabia 6.6%, UK 6%,
Italy 5.4%, France 5.2% (2002)
Debt - external:
$10.4 billion (2000 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
NA
Currency:
Kuwaiti dinar (KD)
Currency code:
KWD
Exchange rates:
Kuwaiti dinars per US dollar - 0.3 (2002), 0.31 (2001), 0.31
(2000), 0.3 (1999), 0.3 (1998)
Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March
Communications Kuwait
Telephones - main lines in use:
412,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
210,000 (1997)
Telephone system:
general assessment: the quality of service is excellent
domestic: new telephone exchanges provide a large capacity for new
subscribers; trunk traffic is carried by microwave radio relay,
coaxial cable, and open-wire and fiber-optic cable; a cellular
telephone system operates throughout Kuwait, and the country is well
supplied with pay telephones
international: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Saudi
Arabia; linked to Bahrain, Qatar, UAE via the Fiber-Optic Gulf (FOG)
cable; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean, 2
Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean), and 2 Arabsat
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 6, FM 11, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios:
1.175 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
13 (plus several satellite channels) (1997)
Televisions:
875,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.kw
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
3 (2000)
Internet users:
200,000 (2002)
Transportation Kuwait
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 4,450 km paved: 3,587 km unpaved: 863 km (1999 est.)
Waterways:
none
Pipelines:
gas 169 km; oil 540 km; refined products 57 km (2003)
Ports and harbors:
Ash Shu'aybah, Ash Shuwaykh, Kuwait, Mina' 'Abd Allah, Mina' al
Ahmadi, Mina' Su'ud
Merchant marine:
total: 39 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,273,628 GRT/3,638,645 DWT
ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 1, container 6, liquefied gas 6,
livestock carrier 5, petroleum tanker 19, roll on/roll off 1
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Monaco 1, Saudi Arabia 1 (2002 est.)
Airports:
6 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 3
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 3
under 914 m: 2 (2002)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
Heliports:
3 (2002)
Military Kuwait
Military branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force (including Air Defense Force), National
Police Force, National Guard, Coast Guard
Military manpower - military age:
18 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 845,026 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 508,399 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 18,885 (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $1,967.3 million (FY01) note: Kuwait is changing its fiscal year; the above figure is for July-March 2001; future budget years will be April-March annually
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 5.5% (FY01)
Transnational Issues Kuwait
Disputes - international:
the Kuwait 1994 land and Khawr 'Abd Allah channel boundary
demarcation ended Iraqi claims to Kuwait and Bubiyan and Warbah
islands; Kuwait and Saudi Arabia are negotiating maritime boundary
with Iran
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
@Kyrgyzstan
Introduction Kyrgyzstan
Background:
A Central Asian country of incredible natural beauty and proud
nomadic traditions, Kyrgyzstan was annexed by Russia in 1864; it
achieved independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Current
concerns include: privatization of state-owned enterprises,
expansion of democracy and political freedoms, interethnic
relations, and combating terrorism.
Geography Kyrgyzstan
Location:
Central Asia, west of China
Geographic coordinates:
41 00 N, 75 00 E
Map references:
Asia
Area:
total: 198,500 sq km
water: 7,200 sq km
land: 191,300 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than South Dakota
Land boundaries:
total: 3,878 km
border countries: China 858 km, Kazakhstan 1,051 km, Tajikistan 870
km, Uzbekistan 1,099 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
dry continental to polar in high Tien Shan; subtropical in
southwest (Fergana Valley); temperate in northern foothill zone
Terrain:
peaks of Tien Shan and associated valleys and basins encompass
entire nation
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Kara-Daryya (Karadar'ya) 132 m
highest point: Jengish Chokusu (Pik Pobedy) 7,439 m
Natural resources:
abundant hydropower; significant deposits of gold and rare earth
metals; locally exploitable coal, oil, and natural gas; other
deposits of nepheline, mercury, bismuth, lead, and zinc
Land use:
arable land: 7.04%
permanent crops: 0.39%
note: Kyrgyzstan has the world's largest natural growth walnut
forest (1998 est.)
other: 92.57%
Irrigated land:
10,740 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
NA
Environment - current issues: water pollution; many people get their water directly from contaminated streams and wells; as a result, water-borne diseases are prevalent; increasing soil salinity from faulty irrigation practices
Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
landlocked; entirely mountainous, dominated by the Tien Shan range;
many tall peaks, glaciers, and high-altitude lakes
People Kyrgyzstan
Population:
4,892,808 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 33.8% (male 836,593; female 819,615)
15-64 years: 59.9% (male 1,436,371; female 1,492,884)
65 years and over: 6.3% (male 117,405; female 189,940) (2003 est.)
Median age:
total: 22.7 years
male: 21.8 years
female: 23.6 years (2002)
Population growth rate:
1.46% (2003 est.)
Birth rate:
26.06 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate:
9.1 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate:
-2.37 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 75.34 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 65.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 84.72 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 63.66 years
male: 59.49 years
female: 68.03 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.12 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
over 500 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 100 (2001 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Kyrgyzstani(s)
adjective: Kyrgyzstani
Ethnic groups:
Kyrgyz 52.4%, Russian 18%, Uzbek 12.9%, Ukrainian 2.5%, German
2.4%, other 11.8%
Religions:
Muslim 75%, Russian Orthodox 20%, other 5%
Languages:
Kyrgyz - official language, Russian - official language
note: in December 2001, the Kyrgyzstani legislature made Russian an
official language, equal in status to Kyrgyz
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97%
male: 99%
female: 96% (1989 est.)
Government Kyrgyzstan
Country name:
conventional long form: Kyrgyz Republic
conventional short form: Kyrgyzstan
local short form: none
former: Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic
local long form: Kyrgyz Respublikasy
Government type:
republic
Capital:
Bishkek
Administrative divisions:
7 provinces (oblastlar, singular - oblasty) and 1 city* (shaar);
Batken Oblasty, Bishkek Shaary*, Chuy Oblasty (Bishkek), Jalal-Abad
Oblasty, Naryn Oblasty, Osh Oblasty, Talas Oblasty, Ysyk-Kol Oblasty
(Karakol)
note: administrative divisions have the same names as their
administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center
name following in parentheses)
Independence:
31 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 31 August (1991)
Constitution:
adopted 5 May 1993; note - amendment proposed by President AKAYEV
and passed in a national referendum on 2 February 2003 significantly
expands the powers of the president at the expense of the legislature
Legal system:
based on civil law system
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Askar AKAYEV (since 28 October 1990)
head of government: Prime Minister Nikolay TANAYEV (since 22 May
2002); note - Prime Minister Kurmanbek BAKIYEV resigned on 22 May
2002 when five demonstrators were killed in a clash with police in
March of 2002
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president on the
recommendation of the prime minister
election results: Askar AKAYEV reelected president; percent of vote
- Askar AKAYEV 74%, Omurbek TEKEBAYEV 14%, other candidates 12%;
note - election marred by serious irregularities
elections: president reelected by popular vote for a five-year term;
elections last held 29 October 2000 (next to be held November or
December 2005); prime minister appointed by the president
Legislative branch:
bicameral Supreme Council or Zhogorku Kenesh consists of the
Assembly of People's Representatives (70 seats; members are elected
by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the Legislative
Assembly (35 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve
five-year terms)
election results: Assembly of People's Representatives - percent of
vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; and Legislative Assembly -
percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; note - total
seats by party in the Supreme Council were as follows: Union of
Democratic Forces 12, Communists 6, My Country Party of Action 4,
independents 73, other 10
note: the legislature became bicameral for the 5 February 1995
elections; the 2000 election results include both the Assembly of
People's Representatives and the Legislative Assembly
elections: Assembly of People's Representatives - last held 20
February and 12 March 2000 (next to be held NA February 2005);
Legislative Assembly - last held 20 February and 12 March 2000 (next
to be held NA February 2005)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges are appointed for 10-year terms by the
Supreme Council on the recommendation of the president);
Constitutional Court; Higher Court of Arbitration
Political parties and leaders:
Agrarian Labor Party of Kyrgyzstan [Uson S. SYDYKOV]; Agrarian
Party of Kyrgyzstan [Arkin ALIYEV]; Ata-Meken or Fatherland [Omurbek
TEKEBAYEV]; Banner National Revival Party or ASABA [Chaprashty
BAZARBAY]; Democratic Movement of Kyrgyzstan or DDK [Jypar
JEKSHEYEV]; Democratic Women's Party of Kyrgyzstan [T. A.
SHAILIYEVA]; Dignity Party [Feliks KULOV]; Erkin Kyrgyzstan
Progressive and Democratic Party [Tursunbay Bakir UULU]; Justice
Party [Chingiz AYTMATOV]; Movement for the People's Salvation
[Jumgalbek AMAMBAYEV]; Mutual Help Movement or Ashar [Jumagazy
USUPOV]; My Country Party of Action [Almazbek ISMANKULOV]; National
Unity Democratic Movement or DDNE [Yury RAZGULYAYEV]; Party of
Communists of Kyrgyzstan or KCP [Absamat M. MASALIYEV]; Party of the
Veterans of the War in Afghanistan [leader NA]; Peasant Party
[leader NA]; People's Party [Melis ESHIMKANOV]; Republican Popular
Party of Kyrgyzstan [J. SHARSHENALIYEV]; Social Democratic Party or
PSD [J. IBRAMOV]; Union of Democratic Forces (composed of Social
Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan or PSD [J. IBRAMOV], Economic Revival
Party, and Birimdik Party)
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Council of Free Trade Unions; Kyrgyz Committee on Human Rights
[Ramazan DYRYLDAYEV]; National Unity Democratic Movement; Union of
Entrepreneurs
International organization participation:
AsDB, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
(signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM (observer), OIC, OPCW
(signatory), OSCE, PCA, PFP, SCO, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UNMIK, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Bakyt ABDRISAYEV
FAX: (202) 338-5139
consulate(s): New York
telephone: (202) 338-5141
chancery: 1732 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Stephen M. YOUNG
embassy: 171 Prospect Mira, 720016 Bishkek
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: (312) 551-241, (517) 777-217
FAX: (312) 551-264
Flag description:
red field with a yellow sun in the center having 40 rays
representing the 40 Kyrgyz tribes; on the obverse side the rays run
counterclockwise, on the reverse, clockwise; in the center of the
sun is a red ring crossed by two sets of three lines, a stylized
representation of the roof of the traditional Kyrgyz yurt
Economy Kyrgyzstan
Economy - overview:
Kyrgyzstan is a small, poor, mountainous country with a
predominantly agricultural economy. Cotton, tobacco, wool, and meat
are the main agricultural products, although only tobacco and cotton
are exported in any quantity. Industrial exports include gold,
mercury, uranium, and natural gas and electricity. Kyrgyzstan has
been fairly progressive in carrying out market reforms, such as an
improved regulatory system and land reform. Kyrgyzstan was the first
CIS country to be accepted into the World Trade Organization. With
fits and starts, inflation has been lowered to an estimated 7% in
2001, 2.1% in 2002, and 4.0% in 2003. Much of the government's stock
in enterprises has been sold. Drops in production had been severe
after the breakup of the Soviet Union in December 1991, but by
mid-1995 production began to recover and exports began to increase.
Growth was held down to 2.1% in 1998 largely because of the
spillover from Russia's economic difficulties, but moved ahead to
3.6% in 1999, 5% in 2000, and 5% again in 2001. The drop in output
at the Kumtor gold mine sparked a 0.5% decline in GDP in 2002 and
again in 2003. On the positive side, the government and the
international financial institutions have been engaged in a
comprehensive medium-term poverty reduction and economic growth
strategy. Further restructuring of domestic industry and success in
attracting foreign investment are keys to future growth.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $13.88 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
5.3% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $2,900 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 35% industry: 25% services: 40% (2002 est.)
Population below poverty line: 55% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.2% highest 10%: 27.7% (1999)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
34.6 (1999)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.1% (2002 est.)
Labor force:
2.7 million (2000)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 55%, industry 15%, services 30% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate:
7.2% (1999 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $207.4 million
expenditures: $238.7 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1999 est.)
Industries:
small machinery, textiles, food processing, cement, shoes, sawn
logs, refrigerators, furniture, electric motors, gold, rare earth
metals
Industrial production growth rate:
6% (2000 est.)
Electricity - production:
13.45 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 7.6% hydro: 92.4% other: 0% (2001) nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:
10.46 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
2.25 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
200 million kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
2,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
20,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
NA (2001)
Oil - imports:
NA (2001)
Natural gas - production:
16 million cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
2.016 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
2 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Agriculture - products: tobacco, cotton, potatoes, vegetables, grapes, fruits and berries; sheep, goats, cattle, wool
Exports:
$488 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities:
cotton, wool, meat, tobacco; gold, mercury, uranium, natural gas,
hydropower; machinery; shoes
Exports - partners:
Switzerland 19.9%, Russia 16.5%, UAE 14.2%, China 8.5%, Kazakhstan
7.6%, US 7.4%, Uzbekistan 5.7% (2002)
Imports:
$587 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities:
oil and gas, machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
Kazakhstan 21.1%, Russia 19.9%, Uzbekistan 10.2%, China 10.1%, US
8.1%, Germany 5.3% (2002)
Debt - external:
$1.5 billion (2002 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
$50 million from the US (2001)
Currency:
Kyrgyzstani som (KGS)
Currency code:
KGS
Exchange rates:
soms per US dollar - 46.94 (2002), 48.38 (2001), 47.7 (2000), 39.01
(1999), 20.84 (1998)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications Kyrgyzstan
Telephones - main lines in use:
351,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
NA
Telephone system:
general assessment: poorly developed; about 100,000 unsatisfied
applications for household telephones
domestic: principally microwave radio relay; one cellular provider,
probably limited to Bishkek region
international: connections with other CIS countries by landline or
microwave radio relay and with other countries by leased connections
with Moscow international gateway switch and by satellite; satellite
earth stations - 1 Intersputnik and 1 Intelsat; connected
internationally by the Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 12 (plus 10 repeater stations), FM 14, shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios:
520,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
NA (repeater stations throughout the country relay programs from
Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Turkey) (1997)
Televisions:
210,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.kg
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
NA
Internet users:
51,600 (2001)
Transportation Kyrgyzstan
Railways: total: 420 km broad gauge: 420 km 1.520-m gauge (2002)
Highways:
total: 18,500 km
paved: 16,854 km (including 140 km of expressways)
unpaved: 1,646 km (1999 est.)
Waterways:
600 km (1990)
Pipelines:
gas 367 km; oil 13 km (2003)