Z (part 13)

Telephone system:
general assessment: large, well-equipped system by regional
standards and being upgraded; cellular communications started in
1996 and have expanded substantially
domestic: consists of microwave radio relay, cable, radiotelephone
communications, tropospheric scatter, and a domestic satellite
system with 14 earth stations
international: country code - 249; satellite earth stations - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat (2000)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 12, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios:
7.55 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
3 (1997)

Televisions:
2.38 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.sd

Internet hosts:
NA

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2002)

Internet users:
300,000 (2003)

Transportation Sudan

Railways:
total: 5,978 km
narrow gauge: 4,595 km 1.067-m gauge; 1,400 km .600-m gauge for
cotton plantations (2003)

Highways:
total: 11,900 km
paved: 4,320 km
unpaved: 7,580 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
4,068 km (1,723 km open year round on White and Blue Nile rivers)
(2004)

Pipelines:
gas 156 km; oil 2,365 km; refined products 810 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Juba, Khartoum, Kusti, Malakal, Nimule, Port Sudan, Sawakin

Merchant marine:
total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 20,466 GRT/26,973 DWT
by type: livestock carrier 1, roll on/roll off 2
registered in other countries: 4 (2004 est.)

Airports:
63 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 12 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 63 914 to 1,523 m: 33 under 914 m: 11 (2004 est.) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 17 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1

Heliports: 2 (2003 est.)

Military Sudan

Military branches:
Sudanese People's Armed Forces (SPAF), Navy, Air Force, Popular
Defense Forces

Military manpower - military age and obligation:
18-30 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript
service obligation - 3 years (August 2004)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 9,339,775 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 5,743,783 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 442,242 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$581 million (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.5% (1999)

Transnational Issues Sudan

Disputes - international:
the north-south civil war has affected Sudan's neighbors by drawing
them into the fighting and by forcing them to provide shelter to
refugees, to contend with infiltration by rebel groups, and to serve
as mediators; Sudan has provided shelter to Ugandan refugees and
cover to Lord's Resistance Army soldiers; Sudan accuses Eritrea of
supporting Sudanese rebel groups; efforts to demarcate the porous
boundary with Ethiopia have been delayed by fighting in Sudan;
Kenya's administrative boundary still extends into the Sudan,
creating the "Ilemi Triangle"; Egypt and Sudan retain claims to
administer the triangular areas that extend north and south of the
1899 Treaty boundary along the 22nd Parallel, but have withdrawn
their military presence; Egypt is economically developing and
currently effectively administers the "Hala'ib Triangle" north of
the Treaty Line; Sudan has pledged to work with the Central African
Republic to stem violent skirmishes over water and grazing among
related pastoral populations along the border

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 108,251 (Eritrea), 5,023 (Chad),
7,983 (Uganda)
IDPs: 4.367 million (internal conflict since 1980s; ongoing
genocide) (2004)

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

@Suriname

Introduction Suriname

Background:
Independence from the Netherlands was granted in 1975. Five years
later the civilian government was replaced by a military regime that
soon declared a socialist republic. It continued to rule through a
succession of nominally civilian administrations until 1987, when
international pressure finally forced a democratic election. In
1989, the military overthrew the civilian government, but a
democratically-elected government returned to power in 1991.

Geography Suriname

Location:
Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between
French Guiana and Guyana

Geographic coordinates:
4 00 N, 56 00 W

Map references:
South America

Area:
total: 163,270 sq km
water: 1,800 sq km
land: 161,470 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Georgia

Land boundaries: total: 1,707 km border countries: Brazil 597 km, French Guiana 510 km, Guyana 600 km

Coastline: 386 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:
tropical; moderated by trade winds

Terrain:
mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: unnamed location in the coastal plain -2 m
highest point: Juliana Top 1,230 m

Natural resources:
timber, hydropower, fish, kaolin, shrimp, bauxite, gold, and small
amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, iron ore

Land use: arable land: 0.37% permanent crops: 0.06% other: 99.57% (2001)

Irrigated land:
490 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues: deforestation as timber is cut for export; pollution of inland waterways by small-scale mining activities

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
smallest independent country on South American continent; mostly
tropical rain forest; great diversity of flora and fauna that, for
the most part, is increasingly threatened by new development;
relatively small population, mostly along the coast

People Suriname

Population:
436,935 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 30.2% (male 67,588; female 64,223)
15-64 years: 63.7% (male 142,656; female 135,819)
65 years and over: 6.1% (male 11,914; female 14,735) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 25.8 years
male: 25.4 years
female: 26.3 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.31% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
18.87 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
6.99 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
-8.81 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 24.15 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 19.85 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 28.24 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.1 years
male: 66.77 years
female: 71.55 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.37 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.2% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
3,700 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 500 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Surinamer(s)
adjective: Surinamese

Ethnic groups:
Hindustani (also known locally as "East Indians"; their ancestors
emigrated from northern India in the latter part of the 19th
century) 37%, Creole (mixed white and black) 31%, Javanese 15%,
"Maroons" (their African ancestors were brought to the country in
the 17th and 18th centuries as slaves and escaped to the interior)
10%, Amerindian 2%, Chinese 2%, white 1%, other 2%

Religions:
Hindu 27.4%, Muslim 19.6%, Roman Catholic 22.8%, Protestant 25.2%
(predominantly Moravian), indigenous beliefs 5%

Languages:
Dutch (official), English (widely spoken), Sranang Tongo
(Surinamese, sometimes called Taki-Taki, is native language of
Creoles and much of the younger population and is lingua franca
among others), Hindustani (a dialect of Hindi), Javanese

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93%
male: 95%
female: 91% (1995 est.)

Government Suriname

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Suriname
conventional short form: Suriname
local short form: Suriname
former: Netherlands Guiana, Dutch Guiana
local long form: Republiek Suriname

Government type:
constitutional democracy

Capital:
Paramaribo

Administrative divisions:
10 districts (distrikten, singular - distrikt); Brokopondo,
Commewijne, Coronie, Marowijne, Nickerie, Para, Paramaribo,
Saramacca, Sipaliwini, Wanica

Independence:
25 November 1975 (from Netherlands)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 25 November (1975)

Constitution:
ratified 30 September 1987

Legal system:
based on Dutch legal system incorporating French penal theory

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN (since 12 August
2000); Vice President Jules Rattankoemar AJODHIA (since 12 August
2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
head of government: President Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN (since 12
August 2000); Vice President Jules Rattankoemar AJODHIA (since 12
August 2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and
head of government
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president from among
the members of the National Assembly
elections: president and vice president elected by the National
Assembly or, if no presidential or vice presidential candidate
receives a constitutional majority in the National Assembly after
two votes, by the larger People's Assembly (869 representatives from
the national, local, and regional councils), for five-year terms;
election last held 6 May 2000 (next to be held NA May 2005)
election results: Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN elected president by the
National Assembly; percent of legislative vote - Runaldo Ronald
VENETIAAN 72.5%; Rashied DOEKHIE (NDP) 19.6%; total votes cast -
Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN (New Front) 37 votes, Rashied DOEKHIE (NDP)
10 votes
note: widespread demonstrations during the summer of 1999 led to the
call for elections a year early

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Nationale Assemblee (51 seats;
members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NF
33, MC 10, DNP 2000 3, DA '91 2, PVF 2, PALU 1
note: widespread demonstrations during the summer of 1999 led to the
call for elections a year early
elections: last held 5 May 2000 (next to be held NA May 2005)

Judicial branch:
Court of Justice (justices are nominated for life)

Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Alternative '91 or DA '91 (a coalition of the
Alternative Forum or AF and Party for Brotherhood and Unity in
Politics or BEP, formed in January 1991) [Winston JESSURUN];
Democratic National Platform 2000 or DNP 2000 (coalition of two
parties, Democratic Party and Democrats of the 21st Century) [Jules
WIJDENBOSCH]; Independent Progressive Democratic Alternative or OPDA
[Joginder RAMKHILAWAN]; Millennium Combination or MC (a coalition of
three parties, Democratic Alternative, Party for National Unity and
Solidarity, and National Democratic Party) [leader NA]; National
Democratic Party or NDP [Desire BOUTERSE]; Naya Kadam or NK [leader
NA]; Party for Renewal and Democracy or BVD [Tjan GOBARDHAN]; Party
of National Unity and Solidarity or KTPI [Willy SOEMITA]; Pertjaja
Luhur [Paul SOMOHARDJO]; Progressive Workers' and Farm Laborers'
Union or PALU [Ir Iwan KROLIS]; The New Front or NF (a coalition of
four parties Suriname National Party or NPS, Progressive Reform
Party or VHP, Suriname Labor Party or SPA, and Pertjaja Luhur)
[Runaldo Ronald VENETIAAN]; The Progressive Development Alliance (a
combination of three parties, Renewed Progressive Party or HPP,
Party of the Federation of Land Workers or PVF, and Suriname
Progressive People's Party or PSV) [Harry KISOENSINGH]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
General Liberation and Development Party or ABOP [Ronnie
BRUNSWIJK]; Mandela Bushnegro Liberation Movement [Leendert ADAMS];
Tucayana Amazonica [Alex JUBITANA, Thomas SABAJO]; Union for
Liberation and Democracy [Kofi AFONGPONG]

International organization participation:
ACP, Caricom, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDB, IFAD,
IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS,
OIC, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Henry Lothar ILLES FAX: (202) 244-5878 consulate(s) general: Miami telephone: (202) 244-7488 chancery: Suite 460, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Marsha E. BARNES embassy: Dr. Sophie Redmondstraat 129, Paramaribo mailing address: Department of State, 3390 Paramaribo Place, Washington, DC, 20521-3390 telephone: 472900 FAX: 420800

Flag description:
five horizontal bands of green (top, double width), white, red
(quadruple width), white, and green (double width); there is a
large, yellow, five-pointed star centered in the red band

Economy Suriname

Economy - overview:
The economy is dominated by the bauxite industry, which accounts
for more than 15% of GDP and 70% of export earnings. Suriname's
economic prospects for the medium term will depend on renewed
commitment to responsible monetary and fiscal policies and to the
introduction of structural reforms to liberalize markets and promote
competition. The government of Ronald VENETIAAN has begun an
austerity program, raised taxes, and attempted to control spending.
However, in 2002, President VENETIAAN agreed to a large pay raise
for civil servants, which threatens his earlier gains in stabilizing
the economy. The Dutch Government has agreed to restart the aid
flow, which will allow Suriname to access international development
financing. The short-term economic outlook depends on the
government's ability to control inflation and on the development of
projects in the bauxite and gold mining sectors.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $1.752 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
5% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $4,000 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 13% industry: 22% services: 65% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line:
70% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
17% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
100,000

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture NA, industry NA, services NA

Unemployment rate:
17% (2000)

Budget:
revenues: $393 million
expenditures: $403 million, including capital expenditures of $34
million (1997 est.)

Agriculture - products:
paddy rice, bananas, palm kernels, coconuts, plantains, peanuts;
beef, chickens; forest products; shrimp

Industries:
bauxite and gold mining, alumina production, oil, lumbering, food
processing, fishing

Industrial production growth rate:
6.5% (1994 est.)

Electricity - production:
1.959 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
1.822 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
10,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
10,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
37 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2002)

Exports:
$495 million f.o.b. (2002)

Exports - commodities:
alumina, crude oil, lumber, shrimp and fish, rice, bananas

Exports - partners:
US 23.3%, Norway 18.4%, Belgium 12.5%, France 10.1%, Trinidad and
Tobago 7.1%, Iceland 4.7%, Italy 4.3%, Netherlands 4.2% (2003)

Imports:
$604 million f.o.b. (2002)

Imports - commodities:
capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs, cotton, consumer goods

Imports - partners:
US 31.5%, Netherlands 18.2%, Trinidad and Tobago 12.5%, China 6.8%,
Japan 6.4% (2003)

Debt - external:
$321 million (2002 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
Netherlands provided $37 million for project and program
assistance, European Development Fund $4 million, Belgium $2 million
(1998)

Currency:
Surinamese guilder (SRG)

Currency code:
SRG

Exchange rates:
Surinamese guilders per US dollar - NA (2003), 2,346.75 (2002),
2,178.5 (2001), 1,322.47 (2000), 859.437 (1999)
note: during 1998, the exchange rate splintered into four distinct
rates; in January 1999 the government floated the guilder, but
subsequently fixed it when the black-market rate plunged; the
government currently allows trading within a band of SRG 500 around
the official rate

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Suriname

Telephones - main lines in use:
79,800 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
168,100 (2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: international facilities are good
domestic: microwave radio relay network
international: country code - 597; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 4, FM 13, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios:
300,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
3 (plus seven repeaters) (2000)

Televisions:
63,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.sr

Internet hosts:
18 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2000)

Internet users:
20,000 (2002)

Transportation Suriname

Highways: total: 4,492 km paved: 1,168 km unpaved: 3,324 km (2000)

Waterways:
1,200 km (most navigable by ships with drafts up to 7 m) (2003)

Pipelines:
oil 51 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Albina, Moengo, New Nickerie, Paramaribo, Paranam, Wageningen

Merchant marine:
total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,421 GRT/2,990 DWT
by type: cargo 1, container 1 (2004 est.)

Airports:
46 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 5 over 3,047 m: 1 under 914 m: 4 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 41 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 35 (2004 est.)

Military Suriname

Military branches:
National Army (includes small Navy and Air Force elements)

Military manpower - military age and obligation:
18 years of age (est.); no conscription

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 124,260 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 72,576 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$7.5 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
0.7% (2003)

Transnational Issues Suriname

Disputes - international:
area claimed by French Guiana between Riviere Litani and Riviere
Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa); Suriname claims a triangle
of land between the New and Kutari/Koetari Rivers in a historic
dispute over the headwaters of the Courantyne; Guyana seeks UNCLOS
arbitration to resolve the long-standing dispute with Suriname over
the axis of the territorial sea boundary in potentially oil-rich
waters

Illicit drugs:
growing transshipment point for South American drugs destined for
Europe and Brazil; transshipment point for arms-for-drugs dealing

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

@Svalbard

Introduction Svalbard

Background:
First discovered by the Norwegians in the 12th century, the islands
served as an international whaling base during the 17th and 18th
centuries. Norway's sovereignty was recognized in 1920; five years
later it officially took over the territory.

Geography Svalbard

Location:
Northern Europe, islands between the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea,
Greenland Sea, and Norwegian Sea, north of Norway

Geographic coordinates:
78 00 N, 20 00 E

Map references:
Arctic Region

Area:
total: 62,049 sq km
note: includes Spitsbergen and Bjornoya (Bear Island)
water: 0 sq km
land: 62,049 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than West Virginia

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
3,587 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 4 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm unilaterally claimed by Norway but
not recognized by Russia

Climate:
arctic, tempered by warm North Atlantic Current; cool summers, cold
winters; North Atlantic Current flows along west and north coasts of
Spitsbergen, keeping water open and navigable most of the year

Terrain:
wild, rugged mountains; much of high land ice covered; west coast
clear of ice about one-half of the year; fjords along west and north
coasts

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Arctic Ocean 0 m highest point: Newtontoppen 1,717 m

Natural resources:
coal, iron ore, copper, zinc, phosphate, wildlife, fish

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (no trees, and the only bushes are crowberry and
cloudberry) (2001)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
ice floes often block the entrance to Bellsund (a transit point for
coal export) on the west coast and occasionally make parts of the
northeastern coast inaccessible to maritime traffic

Environment - current issues:
NA

Geography - note:
northernmost part of the Kingdom of Norway; consists of nine main
islands; glaciers and snowfields cover 60% of the total area

People Svalbard

Population: 2,756 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA

Population growth rate:
-0.02% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
NA births/1,000 population

Death rate:
NA deaths/1,000 population

Net migration rate:
NA migrant(s)/1,000 population

Sex ratio:
NA

Infant mortality rate:
total: NA
male: NA
female: NA

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: NA years
male: NA years
female: NA years

Total fertility rate:
NA children born/woman

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0% (2001)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
0 (2001)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
0 (2001)

Ethnic groups:
Norwegian 55.4%, Russian and Ukrainian 44.3%, other 0.3% (1998)

Languages:
Norwegian, Russian

Literacy:
NA

Government Svalbard

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Svalbard (sometimes referred to as
Spitzbergen)

Dependency status:
territory of Norway; administered by the Polar Department of the
Ministry of Justice, through a governor (sysselmann) residing in
Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen; by treaty (9 February 1920) sovereignty
was awarded to Norway

Government type:
NA

Capital:
Longyearbyen

Independence:
none (territory of Norway)

National holiday:
NA

Legal system:
NA

Executive branch:
chief of state: King HARALD V of Norway (since 17 January 1991)
head of government: Governor Odd Olsen INGERO (since 8 June 2001)
and Assistant Governor Rune Baard HANSEN (since NA)
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor and assistant
governor responsible to the Polar Department of the Ministry of
Justice

International organization participation:
none

Flag description:
the flag of Norway is used

Economy Svalbard

Economy - overview:
Coal mining is the major economic activity on Svalbard. The treaty
of 9 February 1920 gives the 41 signatories equal rights to exploit
mineral deposits, subject to Norwegian regulation. Although US, UK,
Dutch, and Swedish coal companies have mined in the past, the only
companies still mining are Norwegian and Russian. The settlements on
Svalbard are essentially company towns. The Norwegian state-owned
coal company employs nearly 60% of the Norwegian population on the
island, runs many of the local services, and provides most of the
local infrastructure. There is also some hunting of seal, reindeer,
and fox.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - NA

GDP - real growth rate:
NA

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - NA

Population below poverty line:
NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
NA

Labor force:
NA

Budget:
revenues: $11.5 million
expenditures: $11.5 million, including capital expenditures of NA
(1998 est.)

Industrial production growth rate:
NA

Electricity - production:
NA kWh

Electricity - consumption:
NA kWh

Exports:
NA

Imports:
NA

Economic aid - recipient:
$8.2 million from Norway (1998)

Currency:
Norwegian krone (NOK)

Currency code:
NOK

Exchange rates:
Norwegian kroner per US dollar - 7.0802 (2003), 7.9838 (2002),
8.9917 (2001), 8.8018 (2000), 7.7992 (1999)

Communications Svalbard

Telephones - main lines in use:
NA

Telephones - mobile cellular:
NA

Telephone system:
general assessment: probably adequate
domestic: local telephone service
international: country code - 47-790; satellite earth station - 1 of
unknown type (for communication with Norwegian mainland only)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 1 (plus 2 repeaters), shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
NA

Television broadcast stations:
NA

Televisions:
NA

Internet country code:
.sj

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
13 (Svalbard and Jan Mayen) (2000)

Internet users:
NA

Transportation Svalbard

Highways: total: NA km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km

Ports and harbors:
Barentsburg, Longyearbyen, Ny-Alesund, Pyramiden

Merchant marine:
none

Airports:
4 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1523 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)

Military Svalbard

Military - note: demilitarized by treaty (9 February 1920)

Transnational Issues Svalbard

Disputes - international: despite recent discussions, Russia and Norway dispute their maritime limits in the Barents Sea and Russia's fishing rights beyond Svalbard's territorial limits within the Svalbard Treaty zone

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

@Swaziland

Introduction Swaziland

Background:
Autonomy for the Swazis of southern Africa was guaranteed by the
British in the late 19th century; independence was granted in 1968.
Student and labor unrest during the 1990s pressured the monarchy
(one of the oldest on the continent) to grudgingly allow political
reform and greater democracy. Swaziland recently surpassed Botswana
as the country with the world's highest known rates of HIV/AIDS
infection

Geography Swaziland

Location:
Southern Africa, between Mozambique and South Africa

Geographic coordinates:
26 30 S, 31 30 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 17,363 sq km
water: 160 sq km
land: 17,203 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than New Jersey

Land boundaries: total: 535 km border countries: Mozambique 105 km, South Africa 430 km

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
varies from tropical to near temperate

Terrain:
mostly mountains and hills; some moderately sloping plains

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Great Usutu River 21 m
highest point: Emlembe 1,862 m

Natural resources:
asbestos, coal, clay, cassiterite, hydropower, forests, small gold
and diamond deposits, quarry stone, and talc

Land use: arable land: 10.35% permanent crops: 0.7% other: 88.95% (2001)

Irrigated land:
690 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
drought

Environment - current issues:
limited supplies of potable water; wildlife populations being
depleted because of excessive hunting; overgrazing; soil
degradation; soil erosion

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geography - note:
landlocked; almost completely surrounded by South Africa

People Swaziland

Population:
1,169,241
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
2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 41% (male 242,090; female 237,395)
15-64 years: 55.3% (male 323,004; female 324,029)
65 years and over: 3.7% (male 18,685; female 24,038) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 18.6 years
male: 18.4 years
female: 18.8 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.55% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
28.55 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
23.06 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 68.35 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 64.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 71.64 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 37.54 years
male: 39.1 years
female: 35.94 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
3.81 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
38.8% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
220,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
17,000 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Swazi(s)
adjective: Swazi

Ethnic groups:
African 97%, European 3%

Religions:
Zionist (a blend of Christianity and indigenous ancestral worship)
40%, Roman Catholic 20%, Muslim 10%, Anglican, Bahai, Methodist,
Mormon, Jewish and other 30%

Languages:
English (official, government business conducted in English),
siSwati (official)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 81.6%
male: 82.6%
female: 80.8% (2003 est.)

Government Swaziland

Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Swaziland
conventional short form: Swaziland

Government type:
monarchy; independent member of Commonwealth

Capital:
Mbabane; note - Lobamba is the royal and legislative capital

Administrative divisions:
4 districts; Hhohho, Lubombo, Manzini, Shiselweni

Independence:
6 September 1968 (from UK)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 6 September (1968)

Constitution:
a constitution was adopted 14 November 2003

Legal system:
based on South African Roman-Dutch law in statutory courts and
Swazi traditional law and custom in traditional courts; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age

Executive branch:
chief of state: King MSWATI III (since 25 April 1986)
head of government: Prime Minister Absolom Themba DLAMINI (since 14
November 2003)
cabinet: Cabinet recommended by the prime minister and confirmed by
the monarch
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed
by the monarch

Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament or Libandla, an advisory body, consists of the
Senate (30 seats - 10 appointed by the House of Assembly and 20
appointed by the monarch; members serve five-year terms) and the
House of Assembly (65 seats - 10 appointed by the monarch and 55
elected by popular vote; members serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Assembly - last held 18 October 2003 (next to be
held NA October 2008)
election results: House of Assembly - balloting is done on a
nonparty basis; candidates for election are nominated by the local
council of each constituency and for each constituency the three
candidates with the most votes in the first round of voting are
narrowed to a single winner by a second round

Judicial branch:
High Court; Court of Appeal; judges for both courts are appointed
by the monarch

Political parties and leaders:
political parties are banned by the constitution - the following
are considered political associations; Imbokodvo National Movement
or INM [leader NA]; Ngwane National Liberatory Congress or NNLC
[Obed DLAMINI, president]; People's United Democratic Movement or
PUDEMO [Mario MASUKU, president]; Swaziland National Front or
SWANAFRO [Elmond SHONGWE, president]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA,
NAM, OPCW, PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Mary Madzandza KANYA
FAX: (202) 244-8059
telephone: (202) 362-6683
chancery: 3400 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador James D. McGEE embassy: Central Bank Building, Warner Street, Mbabane mailing address: P. O. Box 199, Mbabane telephone: 404-6441 through 404-6445 FAX: 404-5959

Flag description:
three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (triple width), and blue;
the red band is edged in yellow; centered in the red band is a large
black and white shield covering two spears and a staff decorated
with feather tassels, all placed horizontally

Economy Swaziland

Economy - overview:
In this small, landlocked economy, subsistence agriculture occupies
more than 80% of the population. The manufacturing sector has
diversified since the mid-1980s. Sugar and wood pulp remain
important foreign exchange earners. Mining has declined in
importance in recent years with only coal and quarry stone mines
remaining active. Surrounded by South Africa, except for a short
border with Mozambique, Swaziland is heavily dependent on South
Africa from which it receives about nine-tenths of its imports and
to which it sends nearly three-quarters of its exports. Customs
duties from the Southern African Customs Union and worker
remittances from South Africa substantially supplement domestically
earned income. The government is trying to improve the atmosphere
for foreign investment. Overgrazing, soil depletion, drought, and
sometimes floods persist as problems for the future. More than
one-fourth of the population needed emergency food aid in 2002
because of drought, and more than one-third of the adult population
was infected by HIV/AIDS.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $5.702 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
2.2% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $4,900 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 16.2% industry: 43.2% services: 40.5% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
21.1% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line:
40% (1995)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1%
highest 10%: 50.2% (1995)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
7.3% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
383,200 (2000)

Labor force - by occupation:
NA

Unemployment rate:
34% (2000 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $462.4 million
expenditures: $563.4 million, including capital expenditures of $147
million (2003)

Agriculture - products:
sugarcane, cotton, corn, tobacco, rice, citrus, pineapples,
sorghum, peanuts; cattle, goats, sheep

Industries:
mining (coal), wood pulp, sugar, soft drink concentrates, textile
and apparel

Industrial production growth rate:
3.7% (FY95/96)

Electricity - production:
348.3 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
962.9 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
639 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2001)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
3,500 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Current account balance:
$-72.69 million (2003)

Exports:
$905.6 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities:
soft drink concentrates, sugar, wood pulp, cotton yarn,
refrigerators, citrus and canned fruit

Exports - partners:
South Africa 72%, EU 14.2%, Mozambique 3.7%, US 3.5% (1999)

Imports:
$1.088 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities:
motor vehicles, machinery, transport equipment, foodstuffs,
petroleum products, chemicals

Imports - partners:
South Africa 88.8%, EU 5.6%, Japan 0.6%, Singapore 0.4% (1999)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$277.5 million (2003)

Debt - external:
$320 million (2002 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$104 million (2001)

Currency:
lilangeni (SZL)

Currency code:
SZL

Exchange rates:
emalangeni per US dollar - 7.5648 (2003), 10.5407 (2002), 8.6092
(2001), 6.9398 (2000), 6.1095 (1999)

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications Swaziland

Telephones - main lines in use:
46,200 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
88,000 (2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: a somewhat modern but not an advanced system
domestic: system consists of carrier-equipped, open-wire lines and
low-capacity, microwave radio relay
international: country code - 268; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 3, FM 2 plus 4 repeaters, shortwave 3 (2001)

Radios:
170,000 (1999)

Television broadcast stations:
5 plus 7 relay stations (2001)

Televisions:
23,000 (2000)

Internet country code:
.sz

Internet hosts:
1,401 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
5 (2002)

Internet users:
27,000 (2003)

Transportation Swaziland

Railways: total: 301 km narrow gauge: 301 km 1.067-m gauge (2003)

Highways: total: 3,247 km paved: NA unpaved: NA (1998)

Ports and harbors:
none

Airports:
18 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 17 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 10 (2004 est.)

Military Swaziland

Military branches:
Umbutfo Swaziland Defense Force (Army, including Air Wing)

Military manpower - military age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 289,985 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 168,257 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$29 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.8% (2003)

Transnational Issues Swaziland

Disputes - international: none

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

@Sweden

Introduction Sweden

Background:
A military power during the 17th century, Sweden has not
participated in any war in almost two centuries. An armed neutrality
was preserved in both World Wars. Sweden's long-successful economic
formula of a capitalist system interlarded with substantial welfare
elements was challenged in the 1990s by high unemployment and in
2000-02 by the global economic downturn, but fiscal discipline over
the past several years has allowed the country to weather economic
vagaries. Indecision over the country's role in the political and
economic integration of Europe delayed Sweden's entry into the EU
until 1995, and waived the introduction of the euro in 1999.

Geography Sweden

Location:
Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia,
Kattegat, and Skagerrak, between Finland and Norway

Geographic coordinates:
62 00 N, 15 00 E

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 449,964 sq km
water: 39,030 sq km
land: 410,934 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than California

Land boundaries: total: 2,233 km border countries: Finland 614 km, Norway 1,619 km

Coastline:
3,218 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm (adjustments made to return a portion of
straits to high seas)
exclusive economic zone: agreed boundaries or midlines
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate:
temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly
cloudy summers; subarctic in north

Terrain:
mostly flat or gently rolling lowlands; mountains in west

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: reclaimed bay of Lake Hammarsjon, near Kristianstad
-2.41 m
highest point: Kebnekaise 2,111 m

Natural resources:
iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver, tungsten, uranium,
arsenic, feldspar, timber, hydropower

Land use: arable land: 6.54% permanent crops: 0.01% other: 93.45% (2001)

Irrigated land:
1,150 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
ice floes in the surrounding waters, especially in the Gulf of
Bothnia, can interfere with maritime traffic

Environment - current issues:
acid rain damage to soils and lakes; pollution of the North Sea and
the Baltic Sea

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85,
Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,
Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical
Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
strategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic and North
Seas

People Sweden

Population:
8,986,400 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 17.5% (male 807,193; female 762,882)
15-64 years: 65.2% (male 2,974,107; female 2,886,840)
65 years and over: 17.3% (male 668,719; female 886,659) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 40.3 years
male: 39.2 years
female: 41.5 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.18% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
10.46 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
10.38 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
1.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 2.77 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 2.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 2.93 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 80.3 years
male: 78.12 years
female: 82.62 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.66 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
3,300 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 100 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Swede(s)
adjective: Swedish

Ethnic groups:
indigenous population: Swedes and Finnish and Sami minorities;
foreign-born or first-generation immigrants: Finns, Yugoslavs,
Danes, Norwegians, Greeks, Turks

Religions:
Lutheran 87%, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Muslim, Jewish,
Buddhist

Languages:
Swedish
note: small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% (1979 est.)
male: NA
female: NA

Government Sweden

Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Sweden
conventional short form: Sweden
local short form: Sverige
local long form: Konungariket Sverige

Government type:
constitutional monarchy

Capital:
Stockholm

Administrative divisions:
21 counties (lan, singular and plural); Blekinge, Dalarnas,
Gavleborgs, Gotlands, Hallands, Jamtlands, Jonkopings, Kalmar,
Kronobergs, Norrbottens, Orebro, Ostergotlands, Skane,
Sodermanlands, Stockholms, Uppsala, Varmlands, Vasterbottens,
Vasternorrlands, Vastmanlands, Vastra Gotalands

Independence:
6 June 1523 (Gustav VASA elected king)

National holiday:
Flag Day, 6 June

Constitution:
1 January 1975

Legal system:
civil law system influenced by customary law; accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: King CARL XVI GUSTAF (since 19 September 1973);
Heir Apparent Princess VICTORIA Ingrid Alice Desiree, daughter of
the monarch (born 14 July 1977)
head of government: Prime Minister Goran PERSSON (since 21 March
1996)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister
elections: the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative
elections, the prime minister is elected by the Parliament; election
last held 15 September 2002 (next to be held NA September 2006)
election results: Goran PERSSON reelected prime minister with 131
out of 349 votes

Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament or Riksdag (349 seats; members are elected by
popular vote on a proportional representation basis to serve
four-year terms)
elections: last held 15 September 2002 (next to be held NA September
2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - Social Democrats 39.8%,
Moderates 15.2%, Liberal Party 13.3%, Christian Democrats 9.1%, Left
Party 8.3%, Center Party 6.1%, Greens 4.6%; seats by party - Social
Democrats 144, Moderates 55, Liberal Party 48, Christian Democrats
33, Left Party 30, Center Party 22, Greens 17

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Hogsta Domstolen (judges are appointed by the
prime minister and the cabinet)

Political parties and leaders:
Center Party [Maud OLOFSSON]; Christian Democratic Party [Goran
HAGGLUND]; Green Party [no formal leader but party spokespersons are
Maria WETTERSTRAND and Peter ERIKSSON]; Left Party or V (formerly
Communist) [Lars OHLY]; Liberal People's Party [Lars LEIJONBORG];
Moderate Party (conservative) [Fredrik REINFELDT]; Social Democratic
Party [Goran PERSSON]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB,
ESA, EU, FAO, G- 6, G- 9, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM (guest), NC, NEA,
NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP,
UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIK,
UNMIL, UNMISET, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (observer),
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Jan ELIASSON consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York FAX: (202) 467-2699 telephone: (202) 467-2600 chancery: 1501 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20005-1702

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador M. Teel BIVINS embassy: Dag Hammarskjolds VAG 31, SE-11589 Stockholm mailing address: American Embassy Stockholm, Department of State, 5750 Stockholm Place, Washington, DC 20521-5750 (pouch) telephone: (08) 783 53 00 FAX: (08) 661 19 64

Flag description:
blue with a golden yellow cross extending to the edges of the flag;
the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the
style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)

Economy Sweden

Economy - overview:
Aided by peace and neutrality for the whole 20th century, Sweden
has achieved an enviable standard of living under a mixed system of
high-tech capitalism and extensive welfare benefits. It has a modern
distribution system, excellent internal and external communications,
and a skilled labor force. Timber, hydropower, and iron ore
constitute the resource base of an economy heavily oriented toward
foreign trade. Privately owned firms account for about 90% of
industrial output, of which the engineering sector accounts for 50%
of output and exports. Agriculture accounts for only 2% of GDP and
2% of the jobs. The government's commitment to fiscal discipline
resulted in a substantial budgetary surplus in 2001, which was cut
by more than half in 2002, due to the global economic slowdown,
declining revenue, and increased spending. The Swedish central bank
(the Riksbank) is focusing on price stability with its inflation
target of 2%. Growth remained sluggish in 2003. On September 14,
2003, Swedish voters turned down entry into the euro system,
concerned about the impact on democracy and sovereignty.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $238.3 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
1.7% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $26,800 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 2% industry: 29% services: 69% (2001)

Investment (gross fixed):
15.7% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line:
NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.7% highest 10%: 20.1% (1992)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
25 (1992)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.9% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
4.449 million (2003 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 2%, industry 24%, services 74% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate:
4.9% (2003 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $177.7 billion
expenditures: $176.9 billion, including capital expenditures of NA
(2003 est.)

Public debt:
51.8% of GDP (2003)

Agriculture - products:
barley, wheat, sugar beets; meat, milk

Industries:
iron and steel, precision equipment (bearings, radio and telephone
parts, armaments), wood pulp and paper products, processed foods,
motor vehicles

Industrial production growth rate:
1.9% (2003 est.)

Electricity - production:
152.9 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
134.9 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
18.45 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
11.14 billion kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
328,600 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
203,700 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
553,100 bbl/day (2001)

Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
949 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
968 million cu m (2001 est.)

Current account balance:
$19.56 billion (2003)

Exports:
$102.8 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities:
machinery 35%, motor vehicles, paper products, pulp and wood, iron
and steel products, chemicals

Exports - partners:
US 11.5%, Germany 10%, Norway 8.4%, UK 7.8%, Denmark 6.4%, Finland
5.7%, Netherlands 4.9%, France 4.9%, Belgium 4.5% (2003)

Imports:
$83.27 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, motor
vehicles, iron and steel; foodstuffs, clothing

Imports - partners:
Germany 18.7%, Denmark 9%, UK 8%, Norway 8%, Netherlands 6.8%,
Finland 5.6%, France 5.5%, Belgium 4.2% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$19.99 billion (2003)

Debt - external:
$66.5 billion (1994)

Economic aid - donor:
ODA, $1.7 billion (1997)

Currency:
Swedish krona (SEK)

Currency code:
SEK

Exchange rates:
Swedish kronor per US dollar - 8.0853 (2003), 9.7371 (2002),
10.3291 (2001), 9.1622 (2000), 8.2624 (1999)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Sweden

Telephones - main lines in use:
6,579,200 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
7.949 million (2002)

Telephone system:
general assessment: excellent domestic and international
facilities; automatic system
domestic: coaxial and multiconductor cables carry most of the voice
traffic; parallel microwave radio relay systems carry some
additional telephone channels
international: country code - 46; 5 submarine coaxial cables;
satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Eutelsat,
and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Sweden
shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries
(Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Norway)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 265, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios:
8.25 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
169 (plus 1,299 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions:
4.6 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.se

Internet hosts:
945,221 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
29 (2000)

Internet users:
5.125 million (2002)

Transportation Sweden

Railways: total: 11,481 km standard gauge: 11,481 km 1.435-m gauge (7,527 km electrified) (2003)

Highways:
total: 212,402 km
paved: 166,523 km (including 1,499 km of expressways)
unpaved: 45,879 km (2000)

Pipelines:
gas 798 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Gavle, Goteborg, Halmstad, Helsingborg, Hudiksvall, Kalmar,
Karlshamn, Lulea, Malmo, Solvesborg, Stockholm, Sundsvall

Merchant marine:
total: 178 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,702,763 GRT/1,884,570 DWT
by type: bulk 7, cargo 36, chemical tanker 31, combination bulk 1,
combination ore/oil 1, petroleum tanker 25, roll on/roll off 39,
short-sea/passenger 8, specialized tanker 7, vehicle carrier 23
registered in other countries: 154 (2004 est.)
foreign-owned: Denmark 12, Finland 10, Germany 3, Italy 7, Japan 2,
Netherlands 1, Norway 12, Russia 1

Airports:
255 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 154 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 12 914 to 1,523 m: 22 under 914 m: 35 (2004 est.) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 82

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 100 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 90 (2004 est.)

Heliports: 2 (2003 est.)

Military Sweden

Military branches:
Army, Royal Navy, Air Force (Flygvapnet)

Military manpower - military age and obligation: 19 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 7 to 17 months depending on conscript role; after completing initial service soldiers have a reserve commitment until the age of 47 (2004)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 2,082,776 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 1,821,394 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 56,859 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$4.395 billion (FY01)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.1% (FY01)

Transnational Issues Sweden

Disputes - international: none

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

@Switzerland

Introduction Switzerland

Background:
Switzerland's independence and neutrality have long been honored by
the major European powers, and Switzerland was not involved in
either of the two World Wars. The political and economic integration
of Europe over the past half century, as well as Switzerland's role
in many UN and international organizations, has strengthened
Switzerland's ties with its neighbors. However, the country did not
officially become a UN member until 2002. Switzerland remains active
in many UN and international organizations, but retains a strong
commitment to neutrality.

Geography Switzerland

Location:
Central Europe, east of France, north of Italy

Geographic coordinates:
47 00 N, 8 00 E

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 41,290 sq km
water: 1,520 sq km
land: 39,770 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly less than twice the size of New Jersey

Land boundaries:
total: 1,852 km
border countries: Austria 164 km, France 573 km, Italy 740 km,
Liechtenstein 41 km, Germany 334 km

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy
winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers

Terrain:
mostly mountains (Alps in south, Jura in northwest) with a central
plateau of rolling hills, plains, and large lakes

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Lake Maggiore 195 m
highest point: Dufourspitze 4,634 m

Natural resources:
hydropower potential, timber, salt

Land use: arable land: 10.42% permanent crops: 0.61% other: 88.97% (2001)

Irrigated land:
250 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
avalanches, landslides, flash floods

Environment - current issues:
air pollution from vehicle emissions and open-air burning; acid
rain; water pollution from increased use of agricultural
fertilizers; loss of biodiversity

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85,
Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life
Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical
Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geography - note:
landlocked; crossroads of northern and southern Europe; along with
southeastern France, northern Italy, and southwestern Austria, has
the highest elevations in the Alps

People Switzerland

Population:
7,450,867 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 16.8% (male 647,362; female 602,333)
15-64 years: 67.9% (male 2,555,089; female 2,503,331)
65 years and over: 15.3% (male 466,615; female 676,137) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 39.5 years
male: 38.5 years
female: 40.5 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.54% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
9.83 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
8.44 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
4.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.43 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.89 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 4.94 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 80.31 years
male: 77.51 years
female: 83.27 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.42 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.5% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
19,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 100 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Swiss (singular and plural)
adjective: Swiss

Ethnic groups:
German 65%, French 18%, Italian 10%, Romansch 1%, other 6%

Religions:
Roman Catholic 46.1%, Protestant 40%, other 5%, none 8.9% (1990)

Languages:
German (official) 63.7%, French (official) 19.2%, Italian
(official) 7.6%, Romansch (official) 0.6%, other 8.9%

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% (1980 est.)
male:
female:

Government Switzerland

Country name:
conventional long form: Swiss Confederation
conventional short form: Switzerland
local short form: Schweiz (German), Suisse (French), Svizzera
(Italian)
local long form: Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft (German),
Confederation Suisse (French), Confederazione Svizzera (Italian)

Government type:
federal republic

Capital:
Bern

Administrative divisions:
26 cantons (cantons, singular - canton in French; cantoni, singular
- cantone in Italian; kantone, singular - kanton in German); Aargau,
Appenzell Ausser-Rhoden, Appenzell Inner-Rhoden, Basel-Landschaft,
Basel-Stadt, Bern, Fribourg, Geneve, Glarus, Graubunden, Jura,
Luzern, Neuchatel, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Sankt Gallen, Schaffhausen,
Schwyz, Solothurn, Thurgau, Ticino, Uri, Valais, Vaud, Zug, Zurich

Independence:
1 August 1291 (founding of the Swiss Confederation)

National holiday:
Founding of the Swiss Confederation, 1 August (1291)

Constitution:
revision of Constitution of 1874 approved by the Federal Parliament
18 December 1998; adopted by referendum 18 April 1999; officially
entered into force 1 January 2000

Legal system:
civil law system influenced by customary law; judicial review of
legislative acts, except with respect to federal decrees of general
obligatory character; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
reservations

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Samuel SCHMID (since 1 January 2005);
Vice President Moritz LEUENBERGER (since 1 January 2005); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Samuel SCHMID (since 1 January 2005);
Vice President Moritz LEUENBERGER (since 1 January 2005); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Federal Council or Bundesrat (in German), Conseil Federal
(in French), Consiglio Federale (in Italian) elected by the Federal
Assembly usually from among its own members for a four-year term
elections: president and vice president elected by the Federal
Assembly from among the members of the Federal Council for one-year
terms that run concurrently; election last held 8 December 2004
(next to be held December 2005)
election results: Samuel SCHMID elected president; percent of
Federal Assembly vote - 70.7%; Moritz LEUENBERGER elected vice
president; percent of legislative vote - 64.8%

Legislative branch:
bicameral Federal Assembly or Bundesversammlung (in German),
Assemblee Federale (in French), Assemblea Federale (in Italian)
consists of the Council of States or Standerat (in German), Conseil
des Etats (in French), Consiglio degli Stati (in Italian) (46 seats
- members serve four-year terms) and the National Council or
Nationalrat (in German), Conseil National (in French), Consiglio
Nazionale (in Italian) (200 seats - members are elected by popular
vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year
terms)
elections: Council of States - last held in most cantons 19 October
2003 (each canton determines when the next election will be held);
National Council - last held 19 October 2003 (next to be held NA
October 2007)
election results: Council of States - percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - CVP 15, FDP 14, SVP 8, SPS 6, other 3; National
Council - percent of vote by party - SVP 26.6%, SPS 23.3%, FDP
17.3%, CVP 14.4%, Greens 7.4%, other small parties all under 5%;
seats by party - SVP 55, SPS 54, FDP 36, CVP 28, Green Party 13,
other small parties 14

Judicial branch:
Federal Supreme Court (judges elected for six-year terms by the
Federal Assembly)

Political parties and leaders:
Green Party (Grune Partei der Schweiz or Grune, Parti Ecologiste
Suisse or Les Verts, Partito Ecologista Svizzero or I Verdi, Partida
Ecologica Svizra or La Verda) [Ruth GENNER]; Christian Democratic
People's Party (Christichdemokratische Volkspartei der Schweiz or
CVP, Parti Democrate-Chretien Suisse or PDC, Partito
Democratico-Cristiano Popolare Svizzero or PDC, Partida
Cristiandemocratica dalla Svizra or PCD) [Doris LEUTHARD,
president]; Radical Free Democratic Party (Freisinnig-Demokratische
Partei der Schweiz or FDP, Parti Radical-Democratique Suisse or PRD,
Partitio Liberal-Radicale Svizzero or PLR) [Marianne
KLEINER-SCHLAEPFER, president]; Social Democratic Party
(Sozialdemokratische Partei der Schweiz or SPS, Parti Socialist
Suisse or PSS, Partito Socialista Svizzero or PSS, Partida
Socialdemocratica de la Svizra or PSS) [Hans-Juerg FEHR, president];
Swiss People's Party (Schweizerische Volkspartei or SVP, Union
Democratique du Centre or UDC, Unione Democratica de Centro or UDC,
Uniun Democratica dal Center or UDC) [Ueli MAURER, president]; and
other minor parties

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
ACCT, AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EFTA,
ESA, FAO, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU,
LAIA (observer), MIGA, MONUC, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer),
OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR,
UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNOMIG, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Christian BLICKENSTORFER
consulate(s): Boston
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New
York, and San Francisco
FAX: (202) 387-2564
telephone: (202) 745-7900
chancery: 2900 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Pamela P. WILLEFORD embassy: Jubilaumsstrasse 93, CH-3005 Bern mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: (031) 357 70 11 FAX: (031) 357 73 44

Flag description:
red square with a bold, equilateral white cross in the center that
does not extend to the edges of the flag

Economy Switzerland

Economy - overview:
Switzerland is a prosperous and stable modern market economy with
low unemployment, a highly skilled labor force, and a per capita GDP
larger than that of the big Western European economies. The Swiss in
recent years have brought their economic practices largely into
conformity with the EU's to enhance their international
competitiveness. Switzerland remains a safe haven for investors,
because it has maintained a degree of bank secrecy and has kept up
the franc's long-term external value. Reflecting the anemic economic
conditions of Europe, GDP growth dropped in 2001 to about 0.8%, to
0.2% in 2002, and to -0.3% in 2003.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $239.3 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
-0.5% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $32,700 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1.5% industry: 34% services: 64.5% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
20.1% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line:
NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.6% highest 10%: 25.2% (1992)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
33.1 (1992)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
0.6% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
3.72 million (2003)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 4.6%, industry 26.3%, services 69.1% (1998)

Unemployment rate:
3.7% (2003 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $123.2 billion
expenditures: $128 billion, including capital expenditures of NA
(2003 est.)

Public debt:
57.1% of GDP (2003)

Agriculture - products:
grains, fruits, vegetables; meat, eggs

Industries:
machinery, chemicals, watches, textiles, precision instruments

Industrial production growth rate:
0.4% (2003)

Electricity - production:
68.68 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
53.43 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
34.54 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
24.1 billion kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
290,400 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
10,420 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
289,500 bbl/day (2001)

Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
3.093 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
3.093 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Current account balance:
$36 billion (2003)

Exports:
$110 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities:
machinery, chemicals, metals, watches, agricultural products

Exports - partners:
Germany 20.8%, US 11.3%, France 8.7%, Italy 8.3%, UK 4.9%, Japan 4%
(2003)

Imports:
$102.2 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery, chemicals, vehicles, metals; agricultural products,
textiles

Imports - partners:
Germany 32.3%, France 10.8%, Italy 10.7%, US 5.5%, Netherlands 5%,
Austria 4.2%, UK 4.1% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$69.58 billion (2003)

Debt - external:
NA (2000)

Economic aid - donor:
ODA, $1.1 billion (1995)

Currency:
Swiss franc (CHF)

Currency code:
CHF

Exchange rates:
Swiss francs per US dollar - 1.3467 (2003), 1.5586 (2002), 1.6876
(2001), 1.6888 (2000), 1.5022 (1999)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Switzerland

Telephones - main lines in use:
5.419 million (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
6.172 million (2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: excellent domestic and international services
domestic: extensive cable and microwave radio relay networks
international: country code - 41; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 4, FM 113 (plus many low power stations), shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios:
7.1 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
115 (plus 1,919 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions:
3.31 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.ch

Internet hosts:
667,275 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
44 (Switzerland and Liechtenstein) (2000)

Internet users:
2.556 million (2002)

Transportation Switzerland

Railways:
total: 4,533 km
standard gauge: 3,483 km 1.435-m gauge (3,472 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 1,004 km 1.000-m gauge (974 km electrified); 46 km
0.800-m gauge (46 km electrified) (2003)

Highways:
total: 71,011 km
paved: 71,011 km (including 1,638 of expressways)
unpaved: 0 km (2000)

Waterways:
65 km
note: Rhine River between Basel-Rheinfelden and
Schaffhausen-Bodensee, some canals, and 12 navigable lakes (2003)

Pipelines:
gas 1,831 km; oil 94 km; refined products 7 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Basel

Merchant marine:
total: 30 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 604,843 GRT/1,050,914 DWT
registered in other countries: 182 (2004 est.)
by type: bulk 15, cargo 6, chemical tanker 3, container 3, petroleum
tanker 2, specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned: Belgium 1, Netherlands 1, United Kingdom 6, United
States 1

Airports:
65 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 42 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 16 (2004 est.) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 23 under 914 m: 23 (2004 est.)

Heliports: 2 (2003 est.)

Military Switzerland

Military branches:
Land Forces, Air Force

Military manpower - military age and obligation: 19 years of age for compulsory military service; 17 years of age for voluntary military service; conscripts receive 15 weeks of compulsory training, followed by 10 intermittent recalls for training over the next 22 years (2004)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 1,890,091 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 1,606,391 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 45,654 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$2.548 billion (FY01)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1% (FY01)

Transnational Issues Switzerland

Disputes - international:
none

Illicit drugs:
a major international financial center vulnerable to the layering
and integration stages of money laundering; despite significant
legislation and reporting requirements, secrecy rules persist and
nonresidents are permitted to conduct business through offshore
entities and various intermediaries; transit country for and
consumer of South American cocaine and Southwest Asian heroin

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

@Syria

Introduction Syria

Background:
Following the breakup of the Ottoman Empire during World War I,
Syria was administered by the French until independence in 1946. In
the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Syria lost the Golan Heights to Israel.
Since 1976, Syrian troops have been stationed in Lebanon, ostensibly
in a peacekeeping capacity. Over the past decade, Syria and Israel
have held occasional peace talks over the return of the Golan
Heights.

Geography Syria

Location:
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and
Turkey

Geographic coordinates:
35 00 N, 38 00 E

Map references:
Middle East

Area:
total: 185,180 sq km
note: includes 1,295 sq km of Israeli-occupied territory
water: 1,130 sq km
land: 184,050 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than North Dakota

Land boundaries:
total: 2,253 km
border countries: Iraq 605 km, Israel 76 km, Jordan 375 km, Lebanon
375 km, Turkey 822 km

Coastline:
193 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 41 nm

Climate:
mostly desert; hot, dry, sunny summers (June to August) and mild,
rainy winters (December to February) along coast; cold weather with
snow or sleet periodically in Damascus

Terrain:
primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain;
mountains in west

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: unnamed location near Lake Tiberias -200 m
highest point: Mount Hermon 2,814 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, phosphates, chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron
ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum, hydropower

Land use: arable land: 25.22% permanent crops: 4.43% other: 70.35% (2001)

Irrigated land:
12,130 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
dust storms, sandstorms

Environment - current issues:
deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; water
pollution from raw sewage and petroleum refining wastes; inadequate
potable water

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Geography - note:
there are 42 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the
Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (February 2002 est.)

People Syria

Population:
18,016,874
note: in addition, about 40,000 people live in the Israeli-occupied
Golan Heights - 20,000 Arabs (18,000 Druze and 2,000 Alawites) and
about 20,000 Israeli settlers (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 38% (male 3,524,406; female 3,319,323)
15-64 years: 58.7% (male 5,421,133; female 5,163,669)
65 years and over: 3.3% (male 281,795; female 306,548) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 20 years
male: 19.9 years
female: 20.2 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
2.4% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
28.93 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
4.96 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.92 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 30.6 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 30.35 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 30.82 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.71 years
male: 68.47 years
female: 71.02 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
3.61 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
less than 500 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 200 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Syrian(s)
adjective: Syrian

Ethnic groups:
Arab 90.3%, Kurds, Armenians, and other 9.7%

Religions:
Sunni Muslim 74%, Alawite, Druze, and other Muslim sects 16%,
Christian (various sects) 10%, Jewish (tiny communities in Damascus,
Al Qamishli, and Aleppo)

Languages:
Arabic (official); Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian widely
understood; French, English somewhat understood

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 76.9%
male: 89.7%
female: 64% (2003 est.)

Government Syria

Country name:
conventional long form: Syrian Arab Republic
conventional short form: Syria
local short form: Suriyah
former: United Arab Republic (with Egypt)
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Arabiyah as Suriyah

Government type:
republic under military regime since March 1963

Capital:
Damascus

Administrative divisions:
14 provinces (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Hasakah, Al
Ladhiqiyah, Al Qunaytirah, Ar Raqqah, As Suwayda', Dar'a, Dayr az
Zawr, Dimashq, Halab, Hamah, Hims, Idlib, Rif Dimashq, Tartus

Independence:
17 April 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under French
administration)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 17 April (1946)

Constitution:
13 March 1973

Legal system:
based on Islamic law and civil law system; special religious
courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Bashar al-ASAD (since 17 July 2000); Vice
Presidents Abd al-Halim ibn Said KHADDAM (since 11 March 1984) and
Muhammad Zuhayr MASHARIQA (since 11 March 1984)
head of government: Prime Minister Muhammad Naji al-UTRI (since 10
September 2003)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term;
referendum/election last held 10 July 2000 - after the death of
President Hafiz al-ASAD, father of Bashar al-ASAD - (next to be held
2007); vice presidents appointed by the president; prime minister
and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president
note: Hafiz al-ASAD died on 10 June 2000; on 20 June 2000, the Ba'th
Party nominated Bashar al-ASAD for president and presented his name
to the People's Council on 25 June 2000
election results: Bashar al-ASAD elected president; percent of vote
- Bashar al-ASAD 97.29%

Legislative branch:
unicameral People's Council or Majlis al-shaab (250 seats; members
elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
election results: percent of vote by party - NPF 67%, independents
33%; seats by party - NPF 167, independents 83; note - the
constitution guarantees that the Ba'th Party (part of the NPF
alliance) receives one-half of the seats
elections: last held 2-3 March 2003 (next to be held NA 2007)

Judicial branch:
Supreme Constitutional Court (justices are appointed for four-year
terms by the president); High Judicial Council; Court of Cassation;
State Security Courts

Political parties and leaders:
National Progressive Front or NPF (includes Arab Socialist
Renaissance (Ba'th) Party; the governing party) [President Bashar
al-ASAD, secretary general]; Socialist Unionist Democratic Party
[Fadlallal Nasr Al-DIN]; Syrian Communist Party (two branches)
[Wissal Farha BAKDASH, Yuusuf Rashid FAYSAL]; Unionist Socialist
Party [Fayez ISMAIL]; Arab Socialist Unionist Movement [Ahmed
al-AHMED]; Syrian Arab Socialist Party or ASP [Safwan QUDSI]);
Syrian Social National Party [Jubran URAYJI]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
conservative religious leaders; Kurdish Democratic Alliance [leader
NA]; Kurdish Democratic Front [lader NA]; Muslim Brotherhood
(operates in exile in London) [Ali Badr Eddine al-BAYANOUNI];
National Democratic Front [Hassan Abd al-AZIM]

International organization participation:
ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Imad MUSTAFA
chancery: 2215 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
FAX: (202) 234-9548
telephone: (202) 232-6313

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Margaret SCOBEY embassy: Abou Roumaneh, Al-Mansur Street, No. 2, Damascus mailing address: P. O. Box 29, Damascus telephone: (11) 333-1342 FAX: (11) 331-9678

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black, colors
associated with the Arab Liberation flag; two small green
five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centered in the white band;
former flag of the United Arab Republic where the two stars
represented the constituent states of Syria and Egypt; similar to
the flag of Yemen, which has a plain white band, Iraq, which has
three green stars (plus an Arabic inscription) in a horizontal line
centered in the white band, and that of Egypt, which has a gold
Eagle of Saladin centered in the white band; the current design
dates to 1980

Economy Syria

Economy - overview:
Syria's predominantly statist economy lately has been growing more
slowly than its 2.4% annual population growth rate. Recent
legislation allows private banks to operate in Syria, although a
private banking sector will take years and further government
cooperation to develop. Factors, including the war between the
US-led coalition and Iraq, probably drove real annual GDP growth
levels back below 1% in 2003 following growth of 3.5% in 2001 and
4.5% in 2002. A long-run economic constraint is the pressure on
water supplies caused by rapid population growth, industrial
expansion, and increased water pollution.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $58.01 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
0.9% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $3,300 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 28.5% industry: 29.4% services: 42.1% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
13.6% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line:
20% (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.5% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
4.97 million (2003 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture, industry, services NA

Unemployment rate:
20% (2002 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $6.106 billion
expenditures: $7.397 billion, including capital expenditures of $3.6
billion (2003 est.)

Public debt:
89% of GDP (2003)

Agriculture - products:
wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas, olives, sugar beets;
beef, mutton, eggs, poultry, milk

Industries:
petroleum, textiles, food processing, beverages, tobacco, phosphate
rock mining

Industrial production growth rate:
NA

Electricity - production:
23.26 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
21.63 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
522,700 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
265,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
2.4 billion bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production:
5.84 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
5.84 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:
240.7 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

Current account balance:
$-72 million (2003)

Exports:
$5.143 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities:
crude oil, petroleum products, fruits and vegetables, cotton fiber,
clothing, meat and live animals, wheat

Exports - partners:
Germany 20.9%, Italy 12.6%, UAE 7.6%, Lebanon 6.2%, Turkey 6%,
France 5.4%, Croatia 4.8%, US 4.1% (2003)

Imports:
$4.845 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, electric power machinery, food
and livestock, metal and metal products, chemicals and chemical
products, plastics, yarn, paper

Imports - partners:
Germany 7.2%, Italy 7.1%, China 6.3%, France 5.9%, Turkey 5.4%
(2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$3.329 billion (2003)

Debt - external:
$21.55 billion (2003 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$199 million (1997 est.)

Currency:
Syrian pound (SYP)

Currency code:
SYP

Exchange rates:
Syrian pounds per US dollar - (Official rate): 11.225 (2003),
11.225 (2002), 11.225 (2001), 11.225 (2000), 11.225 (1999), (Free
market rate): 49.65 (2001), 49.4 (2000), 51.7 (1999)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Syria

Telephones - main lines in use:
2,099,300 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
400,000 (2002)

Telephone system:
general assessment: fair system currently undergoing significant
improvement and digital upgrades, including fiber-optic technology
domestic: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay network
international: country code - 963; satellite earth stations - 1
Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region);
1 submarine cable; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Iraq,
Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey; participant in Medarabtel

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 14, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios:
4.15 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
44 (plus 17 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions:
1.05 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.sy

Internet hosts:
11 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
220,000 (2002)

Transportation Syria

Railways:
total: 2,711 km
standard gauge: 2,460 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 251 km 1.050-m gauge (2003)

Highways:
total: 43,381 km
paved: 10,021 km (including 877 km of expressways)
unpaved: 33,360 km (1999)

Waterways:
900 km (not economically significant) (2002)

Pipelines:
gas 2,300 km; oil 2,183 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Baniyas, Jablah, Latakia, Tartus

Merchant marine:
total: 122 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 446,981 GRT/636,620 DWT
foreign-owned: Egypt 1, Germany 1, Greece 1, Italy 1, Lebanon 10,
Romania 1
registered in other countries: 83 (2004 est.)
by type: bulk 12, cargo 101, container 2, livestock carrier 4,
petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 1

Airports:
93 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 26 over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 16 under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) 914 to 1,523 m: 3

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 66 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 54 (2004 est.)

Heliports: 7 (2003 est.)

Military Syria

Military branches:
Syrian Arab Army, Syrian Arab Navy, Syrian Arab Air Force
(including Air Defense Command), Police and Security Force

Military manpower - military age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service
obligation - 30 months (2004)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 4,876,040 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 2,716,054 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 216,077 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $858 million (FY00 est.); note - based on official budget data that may understate actual spending

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 5.9% (FY00)

Transnational Issues Syria

Disputes - international:
Golan Heights is Israeli-occupied; Lebanon claims Shaba'a farms in
Golan Heights; Syrian troops have been stationed in Lebanon since
October 1976; Syria protests Turkish hydrological projects
regulating upper Euphrates waters; settled border dispute with
Jordan in 2004

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 413,827 (Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA))
IDPs: 170,000 (most displaced from Golan Heights during 1967
Arab-Israeli War) (2004)

Illicit drugs:
a transit point for opiates and hashish bound for regional and
Western markets; weak anti-money-laundering controls, bank
privatization may leave it vulnerable to money-laundering

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

@Taiwan

Introduction Taiwan

Background:
In 1895, military defeat forced China to cede Taiwan to Japan.
Taiwan reverted to Chinese control after World War II. Following the
Communist victory on the mainland in 1949, 2 million Nationalists
fled to Taiwan and established a government using the 1946
constitution drawn up for all of China. Over the next five decades,
the ruling authorities gradually democratized and incorporated the
native population within the governing structure. In 2000, Taiwan
underwent its first peaceful transfer of power from the Nationalist
to the Democratic Progressive Party. Throughout this period, the
island prospered and became one of East Asia's economic "Tigers."
The dominant political issues continue to be the relationship
between Taiwan and China - specifically the question of eventual
unification - as well as domestic political and economic reform.

Geography Taiwan

Location:
Eastern Asia, islands bordering the East China Sea, Philippine Sea,
South China Sea, and Taiwan Strait, north of the Philippines, off
the southeastern coast of China

Geographic coordinates:
23 30 N, 121 00 E

Map references:
Southeast Asia

Area:
total: 35,980 sq km
note: includes the Pescadores, Matsu, and Quemoy
water: 3,720 sq km
land: 32,260 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maryland and Delaware combined

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
1,566.3 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:
tropical; marine; rainy season during southwest monsoon (June to
August); cloudiness is persistent and extensive all year

Terrain:
eastern two-thirds mostly rugged mountains; flat to gently rolling
plains in west

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Yu Shan 3,952 m

Natural resources:
small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, and asbestos

Land use:
arable land: 24%
permanent crops: 1%
other: 75% (2001)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
earthquakes and typhoons

Environment - current issues:
air pollution; water pollution from industrial emissions, raw
sewage; contamination of drinking water supplies; trade in
endangered species; low-level radioactive waste disposal

Environment - international agreements:
party to: none of the selected agreements because of Taiwan's
international status
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements because of
Taiwan's international status

Geography - note:
strategic location adjacent to both the Taiwan Strait and the Luzon
Strait

People Taiwan

Population:
22,749,838 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 19.9% (male 2,359,467; female 2,167,438)
15-64 years: 70.7% (male 8,149,231; female 7,924,774)
65 years and over: 9.4% (male 1,091,473; female 1,057,455) (2004
est.)

Median age: total: 33.7 years male: 33.3 years female: 34.1 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.64% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
12.7 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
6.29 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.1 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.03 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 6.52 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 7.21 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.06 years
male: 74.31 years
female: 80.08 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.57 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Chinese/Taiwanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Chinese/Taiwanese

Ethnic groups:
Taiwanese (including Hakka) 84%, mainland Chinese 14%, aborigine 2%

Religions:
mixture of Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist 93%, Christian 4.5%,
other 2.5%

Languages:
Mandarin Chinese (official), Taiwanese (Min), Hakka dialects

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.1% (2003)

Government Taiwan

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Taiwan local short form: T'ai-wan local long form: none former: Formosa

Government type:
multiparty democratic regime headed by popularly-elected president
and unicameral legislature

Capital:
Taipei

Administrative divisions:
includes central island of Taiwan plus numerous smaller islands
near central island and off coast of China's Fujian Province; Taiwan
is divided into 18 counties (hsien, singular and plural), 5
municipalities (shih, singular and plural), and 2 special
municipalities (chuan-shih, singular and plural)
: counties: Chang-hua, Chia-i, Hsin-chu, Hua-lien, I-lan, Kao-hsiung
county, Kin-men, Lien-chiang, Miao-li, Nan-t'ou, P'eng-hu,
P'ing-tung, T'ai-chung, T'ai-nan, T'ai-pei county, T'ai-tung,
T'ao-yuan, and Yun-lin
: municipalities: Chia-i, Chi-lung, Hsin-chu, T'ai-chung, T'ai-nan
note: Taiwan generally uses Wade-Giles system for romanization;
special municipality of Taipei adopted standard pinyin romanization
for street and place names within city boundaries, other local
authorities have selected a variety of romanization systems
: special municipalities: Kao-hsiung city, T'ai-pei city

National holiday:
Republic Day (Anniversary of the Chinese Revolution), 10 October
(1911)

Constitution:
25 December 1946, amended in 1992, 1994, 1997, 1999, and 2000

Legal system:
based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction,
with reservations

Suffrage:
20 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President CHEN Shui-bian (since 20 May 2000) and
Vice President Annette LU (LU Hsiu-lien) (since 20 May 2000)
head of government: Premier (President of the Executive Yuan) Frank
HSIEH (since 1 February 2005) and Vice Premier (Vice President of
the Executive Yuan) YEH Chu-lan (since 20 May 2004)
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 20 March
2004 (next to be held in March 2008); premier appointed by the
president; vice premiers appointed by the president on the
recommendation of the premier
election results: CHEN Shui-bian re-elected president; percent of
vote - CHEN Shui-bian (DPP) 50.1%, LIEN Chan (KMT) 49.9%
cabinet: Executive Yuan appointed by the president

Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Yuan (225 seats - 168 elected by popular
vote, 41 elected on basis of proportion of islandwide votes received
by participating political parties, 8 elected from overseas Chinese
constituencies on basis of proportion of island-wide votes received
by participating political parties, 8 elected by popular vote among
aboriginal populations; members serve three-year terms) and
unicameral National Assembly (300 seat nonstanding body; delegates
nominated by parties and elected by proportional representation six
to nine months after Legislative Yuan calls to amend Constitution,
impeach president, or change national borders)
election results: Legislative Yuan - percent of vote by party - DPP
38%, KMT 35%, PFP 15%, TSU 8%, other parties and independents 4%;
seats by party - DPP 89, KMT 79, PFP 34, TSU 12, other parties 7,
independents 4
elections: Legislative Yuan - last held 11 December 2004 (next to be
held in December 2007) according to proposed constitutional amendment
note: the number of seats in the legislature may be reduced from 225
to 113 beginning with the election in 2007 if a proposed
constitutional amendment is approved

Judicial branch:
Judicial Yuan (justices appointed by the president with consent of
the Legislative Yuan)

Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Progressive Party or DPP [SU Tseng-chang, chairman];
Kuomintang or KMT (Nationalist Party) [LIEN Chan, chairman]; People
First Party or PFP [James SOONG (SOONG Chu-yu), chairman]; Taiwan
Solidarity Union or TSU [SU Chin-chiang, chairman]; other minor
parties including the Chinese New Party or CNP

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Taiwan independence movement, various business and environmental
groups
note: debate on Taiwan independence has become acceptable within the
mainstream of domestic politics on Taiwan; political liberalization
and the increased representation of opposition parties in Taiwan's
legislature have opened public debate on the island's national
identity; a broad popular consensus has developed that Taiwan
currently enjoys de facto independence and - whatever the ultimate
outcome regarding reunification or independence - that Taiwan's
people must have the deciding voice; advocates of Taiwan
independence oppose the stand that the island will eventually unify
with mainland China; goals of the Taiwan independence movement
include establishing a sovereign nation on Taiwan and entering the
UN; other organizations supporting Taiwan independence include the
World United Formosans for Independence and the Organization for
Taiwan Nation Building

International organization participation:
APEC, AsDB, BCIE, ICC, ICFTU, IOC, WCL, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: none; unofficial commercial and cultural relations with the people of the US are maintained through an unofficial instrumentality, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) in the US with headquarters in Taipei and field offices in Washington and 12 other US cities

Diplomatic representation from the US: none; unofficial commercial and cultural relations with the people on Taiwan are maintained through an unofficial instrumentality - the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) - which has offices in the US and Taiwan; US office at 1700 N. Moore St., Suite 1700, Arlington, VA 22209-1996, telephone: (703) 525-8474, FAX: (703) 841-1385); Taiwan offices at #7 Lane 134, Hsin Yi Road, Section 3, Taipei, Taiwan, telephone: (2) 2162-2000, FAX: (2) 2162-2251; #2 Chung Cheng 3rd Road, 5th Floor, Kao-hsiung, Taiwan, telephone: (7) 238-7744, FAX: (7) 238-5237; and the American Trade Center, Room 3208 International Trade Building, Taipei World Trade Center, 333 Keelung Road Section 1, Taipei, Taiwan 10548, telephone: (2) 2720-1550, FAX: (2) 2757-7162

Flag description:
red with a dark blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner
bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays

Economy Taiwan

Economy - overview:
Taiwan has a dynamic capitalist economy with gradually decreasing
guidance of investment and foreign trade by government authorities.
In keeping with this trend, some large government-owned banks and
industrial firms are being privatized. Exports have provided the
primary impetus for industrialization. The trade surplus is
substantial, and foreign reserves are the world's third largest.
Agriculture contributes 2% to GDP, down from 32% in 1952. While
Taiwan is a major investor throughout Southeast Asia, China has
become the largest destination for investment and has overtaken the
US to become Taiwan's largest export market. Because of its
conservative financial approach and its entrepreneurial strengths,
Taiwan suffered little compared with many of its neighbors from the
Asian financial crisis in 1998. The global economic downturn,
combined with problems in policy coordination by the administration
and bad debts in the banking system, pushed Taiwan into recession in
2001, the first year of negative growth ever recorded. Unemployment
also reached record levels. Output recovered moderately in 2002 in
the face of continued global slowdown, fragile consumer confidence,
and bad bank loans. Growing economic ties with China are a dominant
long-term factor. Exports to China - mainly parts and equipment for
the assembly of goods for export to developed countries - drove
Taiwan's economic recovery in 2002. Although the SARS epidemic,
Typhoon Maemi, corporate scandals, and a drop in consumer spending
caused GDP growth to contract to 3.2% in 2003, increasingly strong
export performance kept Taiwan's economy on track, and the
government expects Taiwan's economy to grow 4.1% in 2004.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $528.6 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
3.2% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $23,400 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1.8% industry: 30.3% services: 67.9% (2003)

Investment (gross fixed):
17.5% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line:
1% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 6.7% highest 10%: 41.1% (2002 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
-0.3% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
10.08 million (2003)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 7.5%, industry 35%, services 57% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate:
5% (2003 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $56.58 billion
expenditures: $69.21 billion, including capital expenditures of
$14.4 billion (2003 est.)

Public debt:
30.5% of GDP (2003)

Agriculture - products:
rice, corn, vegetables, fruit, tea; pigs, poultry, beef, milk, fish

Industries:
electronics, petroleum refining, chemicals, textiles, iron and
steel, machinery, cement, food processing

Industrial production growth rate:
8.4% (2003)

Electricity - production:
151.1 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
140.5 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
1,100 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
988,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
2 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production:
750 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
6.64 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
410 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
6.3 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
38.23 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

Current account balance:
$28.57 billion (2003)

Exports:
$143 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities:
computer products and electrical equipment, metals, textiles,
plastics and rubber products, chemicals (2002)

Exports - partners:
China 25.3%, US 20.5%, Japan 9.2% (2002)

Imports:
$119.6 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and electrical equipment 44.5%, minerals, precision
instruments (2002)

Imports - partners:
Japan 24.2%, US 16.1%, China 7.1%, South Korea 6.9% (2002)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$207.1 billion (2003)

Debt - external:
$53.44 billion (2003)

Currency:
new Taiwan dollar (TWD)

Currency code:
TWD

Exchange rates:
new Taiwan dollars per US dollar - 34.418 (2003), 34.575 (2002),
33.8 (2001), 33.09 (2000), 31.6 (1999)

Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June (up to FY98/99); 1 July 1999 - 31 December 2000
for FY00; calendar year (after FY00)

Communications Taiwan

Telephones - main lines in use:
13.355 million (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
25,089,600 (2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: provides telecommunications service for every
business and private need
domestic: thoroughly modern; completely digitalized
international: country code - 886; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean); submarine cables to
Japan (Okinawa), Philippines, Guam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia,
Australia, Middle East, and Western Europe (1999)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 218, FM 333, shortwave 50 (1999)

Radios:
16 million (1994)

Television broadcast stations:
29 (plus two repeaters) (1997)

Televisions:
8.8 million (1998)

Internet country code:
.tw

Internet hosts:
2,777,085 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
8 (2000)

Internet users:
8.83 million (2003)

Transportation Taiwan

Railways:
total: 2,544 km
narrow gauge: 1,108 km 1.067-m gauge (519 km electrified)
note: 1,400 km .762-m gauge (belonging to the Taiwan Sugar
Corporation and to the Taiwan Forestry Bureau used to haul products
and limited numbers of passengers (2003)

Highways:
total: 35,931 km
paved: 31,583 km (including 608 km of expressways)
unpaved: 4,348 km (2000)

Pipelines:
condensate 25 km; gas 435 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Chi-lung (Keelung), Hua-lien, Kao-hsiung, Su-ao, T'ai-chung

Merchant marine:
total: 130 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 3,417,768 GRT/5,617,318 DWT
by type: bulk 36, cargo 23, chemical tanker 2, combination bulk 3,
container 37, petroleum tanker 17, refrigerated cargo 10, roll
on/roll off 2
registered in other countries: 457 (2004 est.)
foreign-owned: Cuba 1, Hong Kong 4

Airports:
40 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 37 over 3,047 m: 8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 12

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)

Heliports:
3 (2003 est.)

Military Taiwan

Military branches:
Army, Navy (including Marine Corps), Air Force, Coast Guard
Administration, Armed Forces Reserve Command, Combined Service
Forces Command, Armed Forces Police Command

Military manpower - military age and obligation:
19-40 years of age for military service (being lowered to 35 years
of age in July 2005); service obligation 22 months (being shortened
to 18 months in July 2005 and 12 months in 2008) (January 2005)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 6,556,484 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 4,992,737 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 182,677 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$7,611.7 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.7% (2003)

Transnational Issues Taiwan

Disputes - international:
involved in complex dispute with China, Malaysia, Philippines,
Vietnam, and possibly Brunei over the Spratly Islands; the 2002
"Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea" has
eased tensions but falls short of a legally binding "code of
conduct" desired by several of the disputants; Paracel Islands are
occupied by China, but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam; in 2003, China
and Taiwan asserted claims to the Japanese-administered Senkaku
Islands (Diaoyu Tai) with increased media coverage and protest
actions

Illicit drugs:
regional transit point for heroin and methamphetamine; major
problem with domestic consumption of methamphetamine and heroin;
renewal of domestic methamphetamine production is a problem

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

@Tajikistan

Introduction Tajikistan

Background:
Tajikistan has completed its transition from the civil war that
plagued the country from 1992 to 1997. There have been no major
security incidents in more than two years, although the country
remains the poorest in the region. Attention by the international
community in the wake of the war in Afghanistan has brought
increased economic development assistance, which could create jobs
and increase stability in the long term. Tajikistan is in the early
stages of seeking World Trade Organization membership and has joined
NATO's Partnership for Peace.

Geography Tajikistan

Location:
Central Asia, west of China

Geographic coordinates:
39 00 N, 71 00 E

Map references:
Asia

Area:
total: 143,100 sq km
water: 400 sq km
land: 142,700 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Wisconsin

Land boundaries:
total: 3,651 km
border countries: Afghanistan 1,206 km, China 414 km, Kyrgyzstan 870
km, Uzbekistan 1,161 km

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
midlatitude continental, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid to
polar in Pamir Mountains

Terrain:
Pamir and Alay Mountains dominate landscape; western Fergana Valley
in north, Kofarnihon and Vakhsh Valleys in southwest

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Syr Darya (Sirdaryo) 300 m
highest point: Qullai Ismoili Somoni 7,495 m

Natural resources:
hydropower, some petroleum, uranium, mercury, brown coal, lead,
zinc, antimony, tungsten, silver, gold

Land use: arable land: 6.61% permanent crops: 0.92% other: 92.47% (2001)

Irrigated land:
7,200 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
earthquakes and floods

Environment - current issues: inadequate sanitation facilities; increasing levels of soil salinity; industrial pollution; excessive pesticides

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
landlocked; mountainous region dominated by the Trans-Alay Range in
the north and the Pamirs in the southeast; highest point, Qullai
Ismoili Somoni (formerly Communism Peak), was the tallest mountain
in the former USSR

People Tajikistan

Population:
7,011,556 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 39.2% (male 1,384,035; female 1,361,137)
15-64 years: 56.1% (male 1,957,712; female 1,976,488)
65 years and over: 4.7% (male 145,717; female 186,467) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 19.5 years
male: 19.2 years
female: 19.8 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
2.14% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
32.63 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
8.42 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
-2.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 112.1 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 99.11 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 124.47 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 64.47 years
male: 61.53 years
female: 67.55 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
4.11 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
less than 200 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 100 (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Tajikistani(s)
adjective: Tajikistani

Ethnic groups:
Tajik 64.9%, Uzbek 25%, Russian 3.5% (declining because of
emigration), other 6.6%

Religions:
Sunni Muslim 85%, Shi'a Muslim 5%, other 10% (2003 est.)

Languages:
Tajik (official), Russian widely used in government and business

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.4%
male: 99.6%
female: 99.1% (2003 est.)

Government Tajikistan

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Tajikistan
conventional short form: Tajikistan
local short form: Tojikiston
former: Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic
local long form: Jumhurii Tojikiston

Government type:
republic

Capital:
Dushanbe

Administrative divisions: 2 provinces (viloyatho, singular - viloyat) and 1 autonomous province* (viloyati mukhtor); Viloyati Mukhtori Kuhistoni Badakhshon* [Gorno-Badakhshan] (Khorugh), Viloyati Khatlon (Qurghonteppa), Viloyati Sughd (Khujand) note: the administrative center name follows in parentheses

Independence:
9 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National holiday:
Independence Day (or National Day), 9 September (1991)

Constitution:
6 November 1994

Legal system:
based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Emomali RAHMONOV (since 6 November 1994;
head of state and Supreme Assembly chairman since 19 November 1992)
head of government: Prime Minister Oqil OQILOV (since 20 January
1999)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president, approved
by the Supreme Assembly
election results: Emomali RAHMONOV elected president; percent of
vote - Emomali RAHMONOV 97%, Davlat USMON 2%
elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term;
election last held 6 November 1999 (next to be held NA 2006); prime
minister appointed by the president; Tajikistan held a
constitutional referendum on 22 June 2003 that, among other things,
set a term limit of two seven-year terms for the president

Legislative branch:
bicameral Supreme Assembly or Majlisi Oli consists of the Assembly
of Representatives (lower chamber) or Majlisi Namoyandagon (63
seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
and the National Assembly (upper chamber) or Majlisi Milliy (33
seats; members are indirectly elected, 25 selected by local
deputies, 8 appointed by the president; all serve five-year terms)
election results: Assembly of Representatives - percent of vote by
party - PDPT 65%, Communist Party 20%, Islamic Revival Party 7.5%,
other 7.5%; seats by party - NA; National Assembly - percent of vote
by party - NA; seats by party - NA
elections: last held 27 February and 12 March 2000 for the Assembly
of Representatives (next to be held NA 2005) and 23 March 2000 for
the National Assembly (next to be held NA 2005)

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

Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party or DPT [Mahmadruzi ISKANDAROV]; Islamic Revival
Party [Said Abdullo NURI]; People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan
or PDPT [Emomali RAHMONOV]; Social Democratic Party or SDPT
[Rahmatullo ZOIROV]; Socialist Party or SPT [Mirhuseyn NAZRIYEV];
Tajik Communist Party or CPT [Shodi SHABDOLOV]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
there are three unregistered political parties: Agrarian Party or
APT [Hikmatullo Nasriddinov]; Progressive Party [Sulton QUVVATOV];
Unity Party [Hikmatullo SAIDOV]

International organization participation:
AsDB, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA,
IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO
(subscriber), ITU, MIGA, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Hamrohon ZARIPOV
chancery: 1725 K Street NW, Suite 409, Washington, DC 20006
FAX: (202) 223-6091
telephone: (202) 223-6090

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Richard E. HOAGLAND embassy: 10 Pavlova Street, Dushanbe, Tajikistan 734003; note - the embassy in Dushanbe is not yet fully operational; most business is still handled in Almaty at: 531 Sayfullin Street, Almaty, Kazakhstan, telephone 7-3272-58-79-61, FAX 7-3272-58-79-68 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: (372) 21-03-48, 21-03-52, 24-15-60 FAX: (372) 21-03-62, 51-00-28

Flag description:
three horizontal stripes of red (top), a wider stripe of white, and
green; a gold crown surmounted by seven gold, five-pointed stars is
located in the center of the white stripe

Economy Tajikistan

Economy - overview:
Tajikistan has the lowest per capita GDP among the 15 former Soviet
republics. Only 5% to 6% of the land area is arable. Cotton is the
most important crop. Mineral resources, varied but limited in
amount, include silver, gold, uranium, and tungsten. Industry
consists only of a large aluminum plant, hydropower facilities, and
small obsolete factories mostly in light industry and food
processing. The civil war (1992-97) severely damaged the already
weak economic infrastructure and caused a sharp decline in
industrial and agricultural production. Even though 60% of its
people continue to live in abject poverty, Tajikistan has
experienced steady economic growth since 1997. Continued
privatization of medium and large state-owned enterprises will
further increase productivity. Tajikistan's economic situation,
however, remains fragile due to uneven implementation of structural
reforms, weak governance, widespread unemployment, and the external
debt burden. A debt restructuring agreement was reached with Russia
in December 2002, including an interest rate of 4%, a 3-year grace
period, and a US $49.8 million credit to the Central Bank of
Tajikistan.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $6.812 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
7% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,000 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 30.8% industry: 29.1% services: 40.1% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
7.5% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line:
60% (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.2% highest 10%: 25.2% (1998)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
34.7 (1998)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
16.3% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
3.187 million (2000)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 67.2%, industry 7.5%, services 25.3% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate:
40% (2002 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $253.5 million
expenditures: $238.5 million, including capital expenditures of $86
million (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products:
cotton, grain, fruits, grapes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, goats

Industries:
aluminum, zinc, lead, chemicals and fertilizers, cement, vegetable
oil, metal-cutting machine tools, refrigerators and freezers

Industrial production growth rate:
10.3% (2000 est.)

Electricity - production:
14.18 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
14.52 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
3.909 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
5.242 billion kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
250 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
20,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Natural gas - production:
50 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
1.3 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
1.25 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Current account balance:
$-50 million (2003)

Exports:
$750 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities:
aluminum, electricity, cotton, fruits, vegetable oil, textiles

Exports - partners:
Netherlands 25.4%, Turkey 24.4%, Latvia 9.9%, Switzerland 9.7%,
Uzbekistan 8.5%, Russia 6.6%, Iran 6.4% (2003)

Imports:
$890 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities:
electricity, petroleum products, aluminum oxide, machinery and
equipment, foodstuffs

Imports - partners:
Russia 20.2%, Uzbekistan 15.1%, Kazakhstan 10.9%, Azerbaijan 7%,
Ukraine 7%, Romania 4.4% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$117.6 million (2003)

Debt - external:
$1 billion (2002 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$60.7 million from US (2001)

Currency:
somoni

Currency code:
TJS

Exchange rates:
Tajikistani somoni per US dollar - 3.0614 (2003), 2.7641 (2002),
2.3722 (2001), 2.0763 (2000), 1.2378 (1999)
note: the new unit of exchange was introduced on 30 October 2000,
with one somoni equal to 1,000 of the old Tajikistani rubles

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Tajikistan

Telephones - main lines in use:
242,100 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
47,600 (2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: poorly developed and not well maintained; many
towns are not reached by the national network
domestic: cable and microwave radio relay
international: country code - 992; linked by cable and microwave
radio relay to other CIS republics and by leased connections to the
Moscow international gateway switch; Dushanbe linked by Intelsat to
international gateway switch in Ankara (Turkey); satellite earth
stations - 1 Orbita and 2 Intelsat

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 8, FM 10, shortwave 2 (2002)

Radios:
1.291 million (1991)

Television broadcast stations:
13 (2001)

Televisions:
820,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.tj

Internet hosts:
69 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
4 (2002)

Internet users:
4,100 (2003)

Transportation Tajikistan

Railways: total: 482 km broad gauge: 482 km 1.520-m gauge (2003)

Highways: total: 27,767 km paved: NA unpaved: NA (2000)

Waterways:
200 km (along Vakhsh River) (2003)

Pipelines:
gas 541 km; oil 38 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
none

Airports:
66 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 15 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 2 (2003 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 51 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 40 (2003 est.)

Military Tajikistan

Military branches:
Army, Air Force, Air Defense Force, Presidential National Guard

Military manpower - military age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years (2004)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 1,762,730 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 1,444,325 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 86,761 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$35.4 million (FY01)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
3.9% (FY01)

Transnational Issues Tajikistan

Disputes - international:
prolonged regional drought created water-sharing difficulties for
Amu Darya river states; boundary agreements signed in 2002 cede
1,000 sq km of Pamir Mountain range to China in return for China
relinquishing claims to 28,000 sq km of Tajikistani lands but
demarcation has not yet commenced; talks continue with Uzbekistan to
delimit border and remove minefields; disputes in Isfara Valley
delay delimitation with Kyrgyzstan

Illicit drugs:
major transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and,
to a lesser extent, Western European markets; limited illicit
cultivation of opium poppy for domestic consumption; Tajikistan
seizes roughly 80 percent of all drugs captured in Central Asia and
stands third world-wide in seizures of opiates (heroin and raw opium)

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

@Tanzania

Introduction Tanzania

Background:
Shortly after independence, Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form
the nation of Tanzania in 1964. One-party rule came to an end in
1995 with the first democratic elections held in the country since
the 1970s. Zanzibar's semi-autonomous status and popular opposition
have led to two contentious elections since 1995, which the ruling
party won despite international observers' claims of voting
irregularities.

Geography Tanzania

Location:
Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Kenya and
Mozambique

Geographic coordinates:
6 00 S, 35 00 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 945,087 sq km
note: includes the islands of Mafia, Pemba, and Zanzibar
water: 59,050 sq km
land: 886,037 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than twice the size of California

Land boundaries:
total: 3,861 km
border countries: Burundi 451 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo
459 km, Kenya 769 km, Malawi 475 km, Mozambique 756 km, Rwanda 217
km, Uganda 396 km, Zambia 338 km

Coastline:
1,424 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:
varies from tropical along coast to temperate in highlands

Terrain:
plains along coast; central plateau; highlands in north, south

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Kilimanjaro 5,895 m

Natural resources:
hydropower, tin, phosphates, iron ore, coal, diamonds, gemstones,
gold, natural gas, nickel

Land use: arable land: 4.52% permanent crops: 1.08% other: 94.4% (2001)

Irrigated land:
1,550 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
flooding on the central plateau during the rainy season; drought

Environment - current issues:
soil degradation; deforestation; desertification; destruction of
coral reefs threatens marine habitats; recent droughts affected
marginal agriculture; wildlife threatened by illegal hunting and
trade, especially for ivory

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
Kilimanjaro is highest point in Africa; bordered by three of the
largest lakes on the continent: Lake Victoria (the world's
second-largest freshwater lake) in the north, Lake Tanganyika (the
world's second deepest) in the west, and Lake Nyasa in the southwest

People Tanzania

Population:
36,588,225
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
2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 44.2% (male 8,102,692; female 8,055,370)
15-64 years: 53.2% (male 9,646,342; female 9,834,925)
65 years and over: 2.6% (male 410,477; female 538,419) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 17.6 years
male: 17.3 years
female: 17.8 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.95% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
39 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
17.45 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
-2.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 102.13 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 92.35 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 111.62 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 44.39 years
male: 43.2 years
female: 45.61 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
5.15 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
8.8% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
1.6 million (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
160,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
typhoid fever, malaria, Rift Valley fever, plague, schistosomiasis
overall degree of risk: very high (2004)

Nationality:
noun: Tanzanian(s)
adjective: Tanzanian

Ethnic groups:
mainland - native African 99% (of which 95% are Bantu consisting of
more than 130 tribes), other 1% (consisting of Asian, European, and
Arab); Zanzibar - Arab, native African, mixed Arab and native African

Religions:
mainland - Christian 30%, Muslim 35%, indigenous beliefs 35%;
Zanzibar - more than 99% Muslim

Languages:
Kiswahili or Swahili (official), Kiunguju (name for Swahili in
Zanzibar), English (official, primary language of commerce,
administration, and higher education), Arabic (widely spoken in
Zanzibar), many local languages
note: Kiswahili (Swahili) is the mother tongue of the Bantu people
living in Zanzibar and nearby coastal Tanzania; although Kiswahili
is Bantu in structure and origin, its vocabulary draws on a variety
of sources, including Arabic and English, and it has become the
lingua franca of central and eastern Africa; the first language of
most people is one of the local languages

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write Kiswahili (Swahili),
English, or Arabic
total population: 78.2%
male: 85.9%
female: 70.7% (2003 est.)

Government Tanzania

Country name:
conventional long form: United Republic of Tanzania
conventional short form: Tanzania
former: United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar

Government type:
republic

Capital:
Dar es Salaam; note - legislative offices have been transferred to
Dodoma, which is planned as the new national capital; the National
Assembly now meets there on regular basis

Administrative divisions:
26 regions; Arusha, Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Iringa, Kagera, Kigoma,
Kilimanjaro, Lindi, Manyara, Mara, Mbeya, Morogoro, Mtwara, Mwanza,
Pemba North, Pemba South, Pwani, Rukwa, Ruvuma, Shinyanga, Singida,
Tabora, Tanga, Zanzibar Central/South, Zanzibar North, Zanzibar
Urban/West

Independence:
26 April 1964; Tanganyika became independent 9 December 1961 (from
UK-administered UN trusteeship); Zanzibar became independent 19
December 1963 (from UK); Tanganyika united with Zanzibar 26 April
1964 to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar; renamed
United Republic of Tanzania 29 October 1964

National holiday:
Union Day (Tanganyika and Zanzibar), 26 April (1964)

Constitution:
25 April 1977; major revisions October 1984

Legal system:
based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts
limited to matters of interpretation; has not accepted compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Benjamin William MKAPA (since 23 November
1995); Vice President Dr. Ali Mohammed SHEIN (since 5 July 2001);
note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Benjamin William MKAPA (since 23
November 1995); Vice President Dr. Ali Mohammed SHEIN (since 5 July
2001); note - the president is both chief of state and head of
government
note: Zanzibar elects a president who is head of government for
matters internal to Zanzibar; Amani Abeid KARUME was elected to that
office on 29 October 2000
cabinet: Cabinet ministers, including the prime minister, are
appointed by the president from among the members of the National
Assembly
election results: Benjamin William MKAPA reelected president;
percent of vote - Benjamin William MKAPA 71.7%, Ibrahim Haruna
LIPUMBA 16.3%, Augustine Lyatonga MREME 7.8%, John Momose CHEYO 4.2%
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ballot
by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 29 October
2000 (next to be held NA October 2005); prime minister appointed by
the president

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Bunge (274 seats - 232 elected by
popular vote, 37 allocated to women nominated by the president, five
to members of the Zanzibar House of Representatives; members serve
five-year terms); note - in addition to enacting laws that apply to
the entire United Republic of Tanzania, the Assembly enacts laws
that apply only to the mainland; Zanzibar has its own House of
Representatives to make laws especially for Zanzibar (the Zanzibar
House of Representatives has 50 seats, directly elected by universal
suffrage to serve five-year terms)
election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - CCM 244, CUF 16, CHADEMA 4, TLP 3, UDP 2, Zanzibar
representatives 5; Zanzibar House of Representatives - percent of
vote by party - NA; seats by party - CCM 34, CUF 16
elections: last held 29 October 2000 (next to be held NA October
2005)

Judicial branch:
Permanent Commission of Enquiry (official ombudsman); Court of
Appeal (consists of a chief justice and four judges); High Court
(consists of a Jaji Kiongozi and 29 judges appointed by the
president; holds regular sessions in all regions); District Courts;
Primary Courts (limited jurisdiction and appeals can be made to the
higher courts)

Political parties and leaders:
Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Party of Democracy and
Development) or CHADEMA [Bob MAKANI]; Chama Cha Mapinduzi or CCM
(Revolutionary Party) [Benjamin William MKAPA]; Civic United Front
or CUF [Ibrahim LIPUMBA]; Democratic Party (unregistered)
[Christopher MTIKLA]; Tanzania Labor Party or TLP [Augustine
Lyatonga MREMA]; United Democratic Party or UDP [John CHEYO]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, EADB, FAO, G- 6, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SADC, UN, UN Security Council
(temporary), UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU, WCO,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Andrew Mhando DARAJA chancery: 2139 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 FAX: (202) 797-7408 telephone: (202) 939-6125

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Robert V. ROYALL embassy: 140 Msese Road, Kinondoni District, Dar es Salaam mailing address: P. O. Box 9123, Dar es Salaam telephone: (22) 2666-010 through 2666-015 FAX: (22) 2666-701, 2668-501

Flag description:
divided diagonally by a yellow-edged black band from the lower
hoist-side corner; the upper triangle (hoist side) is green and the
lower triangle is blue

Economy Tanzania

Economy - overview:
Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world. The economy
depends heavily on agriculture, which accounts for about half of
GDP, provides 85% of exports, and employs 80% of the work force.
Topography and climatic conditions, however, limit cultivated crops
to only 4% of the land area. Industry traditionally featured the
processing of agricultural products and light consumer goods. The
World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and bilateral donors
have provided funds to rehabilitate Tanzania's out-of-date economic
infrastructure and to alleviate poverty. Growth in 1991-2002
featured a pickup in industrial production and a substantial
increase in output of minerals, led by gold. Oil and gas exploration
and development played an important role in this growth. Recent
banking reforms have helped increase private sector growth and
investment. Continued donor assistance and solid macroeconomic
policies supported real GDP growth of more than 5.2% in 2004.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $21.58 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
5.2% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $600 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 43.6% industry: 16.5% services: 40% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
17.2% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line:
36% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.8% highest 10%: 30.1% (1993)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
38.2 (1993)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.4% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
18.56 million (2003)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 80%, industry and services 20% (2002 est.)

Unemployment rate:
NA

Budget:
revenues: $1.879 billion
expenditures: $1.873 billion, including capital expenditures of NA
(2003 est.)

Public debt:
6.1% of GDP (2003)

Agriculture - products:
coffee, sisal, tea, cotton, pyrethrum (insecticide made from
chrysanthemums), cashew nuts, tobacco, cloves, corn, wheat, cassava
(tapioca), bananas, fruits, vegetables; cattle, sheep, goats

Industries:
agricultural processing (sugar, beer, cigarettes, sisal twine),
diamond and gold mining, oil refining, shoes, cement, textiles, wood
products, fertilizer, salt

Industrial production growth rate:
8.4% (1999 est.)

Electricity - production:
2.906 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
2.752 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
50 million kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
17,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
11.33 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

Current account balance:
$-617 million (2003)

Exports:
$978 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities:
gold, coffee, cashew nuts, manufactures, cotton

Exports - partners:
Japan 9.5%, India 8.6%, Netherlands 8.2%, Germany 5.3%, UK 5.3%,
Kenya 4.8% (2003)

Imports:
$1.674 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities:
consumer goods, machinery and transportation equipment, industrial
raw materials, crude oil

Imports - partners:
South Africa 10.1%, China 9.3%, Zambia 6.4%, India 5.8%, UAE 5.4%,
Kenya 5.1%, UK 4.5%, Germany 4% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$2.064 billion (2003)

Debt - external:
$6.549 billion (2003 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$1.2 billion (2001)

Currency:
Tanzanian shilling (TZS)

Currency code:
TZS

Exchange rates:
Tanzanian shillings per US dollar - NA (2003), 966.583 (2002),
876.412 (2001), 800.409 (2000), 744.759 (1999)

Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June

Communications Tanzania

Telephones - main lines in use:
149,100 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
891,200 (2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: fair system operating below capacity and being
modernized for better service; VSAT (very small aperture terminal)
system under construction
domestic: trunk service provided by open-wire, microwave radio
relay, tropospheric scatter, and fiber-optic cable; some links being
made digital
international: country code - 255; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 12, FM 11, shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios:
8.8 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
3 (1999)

Televisions:
103,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.tz

Internet hosts:
5,534 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
6 (2000)

Internet users:
250,000 (2003)

Transportation Tanzania

Railways: total: 3,690 km narrow gauge: 969 km 1.067-m gauge; 2,721 km 1.000-m gauge (2003)

Highways: total: 88,200 km paved: 3,704 km unpaved: 84,496 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
Lake Tanganyika, Lake Victoria, and Lake Nyasa principal avenues of
commerce with neighboring countries; rivers not navigable (2004)

Pipelines:
gas 29 km; oil 866 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Bukoba, Dar es Salaam, Kigoma, Kilwa Masoko, Lindi, Mtwara, Mwanza,
Pangani, Tanga, Wete, Zanzibar

Merchant marine:
total: 10 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 25,481 GRT/31,011 DWT
registered in other countries: 5 (2004 est.)
by type: cargo 3, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 3, roll
on/roll off 1, short-sea/passenger 1

Airports:
123 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 11 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 112 1,524 to 2,437 m: 19 914 to 1,523 m: 60 under 914 m: 33 (2004 est.)

Military Tanzania

Military branches:
Tanzanian People's Defense Force: Army, Naval Wing, and Air Defense
Command; National Service

Military manpower - military age and obligation: 15 years of age for voluntary military service; 18 years of age for compulsory military service upon graduation from secondary school; conscript service obligation - 2 years (2004)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 8,687,477 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 5,031,621 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$20.3 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
0.2% (2003)

Transnational Issues Tanzania

Disputes - international:
disputes with Malawi over the boundary in Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi)
and the meandering Songwe River remain dormant

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 447,877 (Burundi), 153,155
(Democratic Republic of the Congo), 3,036 (Somalia) (2004)

Illicit drugs:
growing role in transshipment of Southwest and Southeast Asian
heroin and South American cocaine destined for South African,
European, and US markets and of South Asian methaqualone bound for
Southern Africa; money laundering remains a problem

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

@Thailand

Introduction Thailand

Background:
A unified Thai kingdom was established in the mid-14th century.
Known as Siam until 1939, Thailand is the only Southeast Asian
country never to have been taken over by a European power. A
bloodless revolution in 1932 led to a constitutional monarchy. In
alliance with Japan during World War II, Thailand became a US ally
following the conflict. Thailand is currently facing armed violence
in its three Muslim-majority southernmost provinces.

Geography Thailand

Location:
Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of
Thailand, southeast of Burma

Geographic coordinates:
15 00 N, 100 00 E

Map references:
Southeast Asia

Area:
total: 514,000 sq km
water: 2,230 sq km
land: 511,770 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly more than twice the size of Wyoming

Land boundaries:
total: 4,863 km
border countries: Burma 1,800 km, Cambodia 803 km, Laos 1,754 km,
Malaysia 506 km

Coastline:
3,219 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate:
tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to
September); dry, cool northeast monsoon (November to mid-March);
southern isthmus always hot and humid

Terrain:
central plain; Khorat Plateau in the east; mountains elsewhere

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Gulf of Thailand 0 m
highest point: Doi Inthanon 2,576 m

Natural resources:
tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead, fish,
gypsum, lignite, fluorite, arable land

Land use: arable land: 29.36% permanent crops: 6.46% other: 64.18% (2001)

Irrigated land:
47,490 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
land subsidence in Bangkok area resulting from the depletion of the
water table; droughts

Environment - current issues: air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from organic and factory wastes; deforestation; soil erosion; wildlife populations threatened by illegal hunting

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geography - note: controls only land route from Asia to Malaysia and Singapore

People Thailand

Population:
64,865,523
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
2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 24.1% (male 7,985,724; female 7,631,337)
15-64 years: 68.7% (male 21,998,552; female 22,538,765)
65 years and over: 7.3% (male 2,167,421; female 2,543,724) (2004
est.)

Median age: total: 30.5 years male: 29.7 years female: 31.2 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.91% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
16.04 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
6.94 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 21.14 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 19.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 22.49 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.41 years
male: 69.23 years
female: 73.71 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.89 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.5% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
570,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
58,000 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Thai (singular and plural)
adjective: Thai

Ethnic groups:
Thai 75%, Chinese 14%, other 11%

Religions:
Buddhism 95%, Muslim 3.8%, Christianity 0.5%, Hinduism 0.1%, other
0.6% (1991)

Languages:
Thai, English (secondary language of the elite), ethnic and
regional dialects

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 92.6%
male: 94.9%
female: 90.5% (2002)

Government Thailand

Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Thailand
conventional short form: Thailand
former: Siam

Government type:
constitutional monarchy

Capital:
Bangkok

Administrative divisions:
76 provinces (changwat, singular and plural); Amnat Charoen, Ang
Thong, Buriram, Chachoengsao, Chai Nat, Chaiyaphum, Chanthaburi,
Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Chon Buri, Chumphon, Kalasin, Kamphaeng
Phet, Kanchanaburi, Khon Kaen, Krabi, Krung Thep Mahanakhon
(Bangkok), Lampang, Lamphun, Loei, Lop Buri, Mae Hong Son, Maha
Sarakham, Mukdahan, Nakhon Nayok, Nakhon Pathom, Nakhon Phanom,
Nakhon Ratchasima, Nakhon Sawan, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Nan,
Narathiwat, Nong Bua Lamphu, Nong Khai, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani,
Pattani, Phangnga, Phatthalung, Phayao, Phetchabun, Phetchaburi,
Phichit, Phitsanulok, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Phrae, Phuket,
Prachin Buri, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Ranong, Ratchaburi, Rayong, Roi
Et, Sa Kaeo, Sakon Nakhon, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon, Samut
Songkhram, Sara Buri, Satun, Sing Buri, Sisaket, Songkhla,
Sukhothai, Suphan Buri, Surat Thani, Surin, Tak, Trang, Trat, Ubon
Ratchathani, Udon Thani, Uthai Thani, Uttaradit, Yala, Yasothon

Independence:
1238 (traditional founding date; never colonized)

National holiday:
Birthday of King PHUMIPHON, 5 December (1927)

Constitution:
new constitution signed by King PHUMIPHON on 11 October 1997

Legal system:
based on civil law system, with influences of common law; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch:
chief of state: King PHUMIPHON Adunyadet (since 9 June 1946)
note: there is also a Privy Council
head of government: Prime Minister THAKSIN Chinnawat (since 9
February 2001) and Deputy Prime Ministers CHATURON Chaisaeng, Gen.
CHAWALIT Yongchaiyut (Ret.), PURACHAI Piamsombun, VISHANU Krua-ngam
(since 8 November 2003); LIPTAPANLOP Suwat (since 1 July 2004);
SOMSAK Thepsuthin, PHINIT Charusombat (since 6 October 2004)
cabinet: Council of Ministers
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister is
designated from among the members of the House of Representatives;
following national elections for the House of Representatives, the
leader of the party that can organize a majority coalition usually
is appointed prime minister by the king

Legislative branch:
bicameral National Assembly or Rathasapha consists of the Senate or
Wuthisapha (200 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve
six-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Sapha Phuthaen
Ratsadon (500 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve
four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 4 March, 29 April, 4 June, 9 July, and
22 July 2000 (next to be held by March 2006); House of
Representatives - last held 6 January 2001 (next to be held 6
February 2005)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
party - NA; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party -
NA%; seats by party - TRT 248, DP 128, TNP 41, NDP 29, other 54

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Sandika (judges appointed by the monarch)

Political parties and leaders:
Democrat Party or DP (Prachathipat Party) [BANYAT Bantadtan];
People's Party or PP (Mahachon Party) [ANEK Laothamatas]; Thai
Nation Party or TNP (Chat Thai Party) [BARNHARN SILPA-ARCHA]; Thai
Rak Thai Party or TRT [THAKSIN Chinnawat]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIS, CP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC
(observer), OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: KASIT Piromya
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York
FAX: (202) 944-3611
telephone: (202) 944-3600
chancery: 1024 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 401, Washington, DC
20007-3681

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ralph L. BOYCE
embassy: 120/22 Wireless Road, Bangkok
mailing address: APO AP 96546
telephone: (2) 205-4000
FAX: (2) 254-2990, 205-4131
consulate(s) general: Chiang Mai

Flag description:
five horizontal bands of red (top), white, blue (double width),
white, and red

Economy Thailand

Economy - overview:
Thailand has a free-enterprise economy and welcomes foreign
investment. Exports feature textiles and footwear, fishery products,
rice, rubber, jewelry, automobiles, computers and electrical
appliances. Thailand has recovered from the 1997-98 Asian Financial
Crisis and was one of East Asia's best performers in 2002. Increased
consumption and investment spending and strong export growth pushed
GDP growth up to 6.3% in 2003 despite a sluggish global economy. The
highly popular government has pushed an expansionist policy,
including major support of village economic development.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $477.5 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
6.7% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $7,400 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 9.8% industry: 44% services: 46.3% (2003)

Investment (gross fixed):
25.5% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line:
10.4% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.8% highest 10%: 32.4% (1998)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
41.4 (1998)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.8% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
34.9 million (2003 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 49%, industry 14%, services 37% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate:
2.2% (2003 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $24.41 billion
expenditures: $24.01 billion, including capital expenditures of $5
billion (2003 est.)

Public debt:
46.6% of GDP (2003)

Agriculture - products:
rice, cassava (tapioca), rubber, corn, sugarcane, coconuts, soybeans

Industries:
tourism, textiles and garments, agricultural processing, beverages,
tobacco, cement, light manufacturing such as jewelry, electric
appliances and components, computers and parts, integrated circuits,
furniture, plastics, world's second-largest tungsten producer, and
third-largest tin producer

Industrial production growth rate:
12.3% (2003 est.)

Electricity - production:
97.6 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
90.91 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
200 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
350 million kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
173,800 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
785,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
600 million bbl (1 January 2003)

Natural gas - production:
18.73 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
23.93 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
5.2 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
368.2 billion cu m (1 January 2003)

Current account balance:
$9.44 billion (2003)

Exports:
$75.99 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities:
computers, office machine parts, transistors, rubber, vehicles
(cars and trucks), plastic, seafood (2002)

Exports - partners:
US 17%, Japan 14.2%, Singapore 7.3%, China 7.1%, Hong Kong 5.4%,
Malaysia 4.8% (2003)

Imports:
$65.3 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities:
capital goods, intermediate goods and raw materials, consumer
goods, fuels (2000)

Imports - partners:
Japan 24.1%, US 9.5%, China 8%, Malaysia 6%, Singapore 4.3%, Taiwan
4.2% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$42.15 billion (2003)

Debt - external:
$53.75 billion (2003 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$131.5 million (1998 est.)

Currency:
baht (THB)

Currency code:
THB

Exchange rates:
baht per US dollar - 41.4846 (2003), 42.9601 (2002), 44.4319
(2001), 40.1118 (2000), 37.8137 (1999)

Fiscal year:
1 October - 30 September

Communications Thailand

Telephones - main lines in use:
6.6 million (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
16.117 million (2002)

Telephone system:
general assessment: service to general public adequate, but
investment in technological upgrades reduced by recession; bulk of
service to government activities provided by multichannel cable and
microwave radio relay network
domestic: microwave radio relay and multichannel cable; domestic
satellite system being developed
international: country code - 66; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 204, FM 334, shortwave 6 (1999)

Radios:
13.96 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
5 (all in Bangkok; plus 131 repeaters) (1997)

Televisions:
15.19 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.th

Internet hosts:
103,700 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
15 (2000)

Internet users:
6,031,300 (2003)

Transportation Thailand

Railways: total: 4,071 km narrow gauge: 4,071 km 1.000-m gauge (2003)

Highways: total: 64,600 km paved: 62,985 km unpaved: 1,615 km (1999 est.)

Waterways: 4,000 km note: 3,701 km navigable by boats with drafts up to 0.9 m (2003)

Pipelines:
gas 3,112 km; refined products 265 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Bangkok, Laem Chabang, Pattani, Phuket, Sattahip, Si Racha, Songkhla

Merchant marine:
total: 339 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,038,597 GRT/3,104,712 DWT
foreign-owned: Egypt 1, Germany 3, Indonesia 1, Japan 4, Norway 38,
Panama 2, Singapore 3
registered in other countries: 43 (2004 est.)
by type: bulk 40, cargo 135, chemical tanker 5, combination bulk 2,
combination ore/oil 1, container 19, liquefied gas 22,
multi-functional large load carrier 2, passenger 1, petroleum tanker
79, refrigerated cargo 22, roll on/roll off 2, short-sea/passenger
2, specialized tanker 6, vehicle carrier 1

Airports:
109 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 65 over 3,047 m: 7 2,438 to 3,047 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 19 under 914 m: 6 (2004 est.) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 23

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 44 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 15 under 914 m: 28 (2004 est.)

Heliports: 3 (2003 est.)

Military Thailand

Military branches:
Royal Thai Army, Royal Thai Navy (including Royal Thai Marine
Corps), Royal Thai Air Force

Military manpower - military age and obligation: 21 years of age for compulsory military service; males are registered at 18 years of age; conscript service obligation - 2 years; 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2004)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 17,944,151 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 10,735,354 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 531,511 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$1.775 billion (FY00)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.8% (2003)

Transnational Issues Thailand

Disputes - international:
a 1 kilometer segment at the mouth of the Golok River remains in
dispute with Malaysia; demarcation with Laos complete except for
certain Mekong River islets and complaints of Thai squatters;
despite continuing border committee talks, significant differences
remain with Burma over boundary alignment and the handling of ethnic
rebels, refugees, and illegal cross-border activities; Cambodia
accuses Thailand of moving boundary markers and obstructing access
to Preah Vihear temple ruins awarded to Cambodia by ICJ decision in
1962; 2003 anti-Thai riots in Phnom Penh resulted in the destruction
of the Thai Embassy and damage to 17 Thai-owned businesses and
disputes over payments of full compensation persist; groups in Burma
and Thailand express concern over China's construction of 13
hydroelectric dams on the Salween River in Yunnan Province

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 118,407 (Burma) (2004)

Illicit drugs:
a minor producer of opium, heroin, and marijuana; illicit transit
point for heroin en route to the international drug market from
Burma and Laos; eradication efforts have reduced the area of
cannabis cultivation and shifted some production to neighboring
countries; opium poppy cultivation has been reduced by eradication
efforts; also a drug money-laundering center; minor role in
amphetamine production for regional consumption; increasing
indigenous abuse of methamphetamine

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

@Togo

Introduction Togo

Background:
French Togoland became Togo in 1960. Gen. Gnassingbe EYADEMA,
installed as military ruler in 1967, is Africa's longest-serving
head of state. Despite the facade of multiparty elections instituted
in the early 1990s, the government continues to be dominated by
President EYADEMA, whose Rally of the Togolese People (RPT) party
has maintained power almost continually since 1967. In addition,
Togo has come under fire from international organizations for human
rights abuses and is plagued by political unrest. While most
bilateral and multilateral aid to Togo remains frozen, the European
Union initiated a partial resumption of cooperation and development
aid to Togo in late 2004.

Geography Togo

Location:
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Benin and
Ghana

Geographic coordinates:
8 00 N, 1 10 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 56,785 sq km
water: 2,400 sq km
land: 54,385 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than West Virginia

Land boundaries: total: 1,647 km border countries: Benin 644 km, Burkina Faso 126 km, Ghana 877 km

Coastline: 56 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 30 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:
tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north

Terrain:
gently rolling savanna in north; central hills; southern plateau;
low coastal plain with extensive lagoons and marshes

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Agou 986 m

Natural resources:
phosphates, limestone, marble, arable land

Land use: arable land: 46.15% permanent crops: 2.21% other: 51.64% (2001)

Irrigated land:
70 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
hot, dry harmattan wind can reduce visibility in north during
winter; periodic droughts

Environment - current issues: deforestation attributable to slash-and-burn agriculture and the use of wood for fuel; water pollution presents health hazards and hinders the fishing industry; air pollution increasing in urban areas

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
the country's length allows it to stretch through six distinct
geographic regions; climate varies from tropical to savanna

People Togo

Population:
5,556,812
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
2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 43.9% (male 1,222,622; female 1,214,443)
15-64 years: 53.6% (male 1,455,373; female 1,522,456)
65 years and over: 2.6% (male 59,165; female 82,753) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 17.6 years
male: 17.2 years
female: 17.9 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
2.27% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
34.36 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
11.64 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 67.66 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 59.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 75.4 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 53.05 years
male: 51.07 years
female: 55.09 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
4.79 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
4.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
110,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
10,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:
typhoid fever, malaria, yellow fever, schistosomiasis
overall degree of risk: very high (2004)

Nationality:
noun: Togolese (singular and plural)
adjective: Togolese

Ethnic groups:
native African (37 tribes; largest and most important are Ewe,
Mina, and Kabre) 99%, European and Syrian-Lebanese less than 1%

Religions:
indigenous beliefs 51%, Christian 29%, Muslim 20%

Languages:
French (official and the language of commerce), Ewe and Mina (the
two major African languages in the south), Kabye (sometimes spelled
Kabiye) and Dagomba (the two major African languages in the north)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 60.9%
male: 75.4%
female: 46.9% (2003 est.)

Government Togo

Country name:
conventional long form: Togolese Republic
conventional short form: Togo
local short form: none
former: French Togoland
local long form: Republique Togolaise

Government type:
republic under transition to multiparty democratic rule

Capital:
Lome

Administrative divisions:
5 regions (regions, singular - region); Kara, Plateaux, Savanes,
Centrale, Maritime

Independence:
27 April 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 27 April (1960)

Constitution:
multiparty draft constitution approved by High Council of the
Republic 1 July 1992; adopted by public referendum 27 September 1992

Legal system:
French-based court system

Suffrage:
NA years of age; universal adult

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Faure GNASSINGBE (since 6 February 2005);
note - Gnassingbe EYADEMA died on 5 February 2005 and was succeeded
by his son, Faure GNASSINGBE, who will be allowed to complete his
father's term
head of government: Prime Minister Koffi SAMA (since 29 June 2002)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president and the
prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 1 June 2003 (next to be held NA June 2008); prime
minister appointed by the president
election results: Gnassingbe EYADEMA reelected president; percent of
vote - Gnassingbe EYADEMA 57.2%, Emmanuel Akitani BOB 34.1%, Yawovi
AGBOYIBO 5.2%, Maurice Dahuku PERE 2.3%, Edem KODJO 1.0%

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (81 seats; members are elected by
popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 27 October 2002 (next NA 2007)
note: two opposition parties boycotted the election, the Union of
the Forces for Change, and the Action Committee for Renewal
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
RPT 72, RSDD 3, UDPS 2, Juvento 2, MOCEP 1, independents 1

Judicial branch:
Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme

Political parties and leaders: Juvento [Monsilia DJATO]; Movement of the Believers of Peace and Equality or MOCEP [leader NA]; Rally for the Support for Development and Democracy or RSDD [Harryy OLYMPIO]; Rally of the Togolese People or RPT [President Gnassingbe EYADEMA]; Union for Democracy and Social Progress or UDPS [Gagou KOKOU] note: Rally of the Togolese People or RPT, led by President EYADEMA, was the only party until the formation of multiple parties was legalized 12 April 1991

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
ABEDA, ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Akoussoulelou BODJONA FAX: (202) 232-3190 telephone: (202) 234-4212 chancery: 2208 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Gregory ENGLE embassy: Angle Rue Kouenou and Rue 15 Beniglato, Lome mailing address: B. P. 852, Lome telephone: 221 29 91 through 221 29 94 FAX: 221 79 52

Flag description:
five equal horizontal bands of green (top and bottom) alternating
with yellow; there is a white five-pointed star on a red square in
the upper hoist-side corner; uses the popular pan-African colors of
Ethiopia

Economy Togo

Economy - overview:
This small sub-Saharan economy is heavily dependent on both
commercial and subsistence agriculture, which provides employment
for 65% of the labor force. Some basic foodstuffs must still be
imported. Cocoa, coffee, and cotton generate about 40% of export
earnings, with cotton being the most important cash crop. Togo is
the world's fourth-largest producer of phosphate, but production
fell an estimated 22% in 2002 due to power shortages and the cost of
developing new deposits. The government's decade-long effort,
supported by the World Bank and the IMF, to implement economic
reform measures, encourage foreign investment, and bring revenues in
line with expenditures has moved slowly. Progress depends on
following through on privatization, increased openness in government
financial operations, progress toward legislative elections, and
continued support from foreign donors.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $8.257 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
3.3% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,500 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 39.5% industry: 20.4% services: 40.1% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
18.4% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line:
32% (1989 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
-1% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
1.74 million (1996)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 65%, industry 5%, services 30% (1998 est.)

Unemployment rate:
NA (2003 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $214.5 million
expenditures: $296.4 million, including capital expenditures of NA
(2003 est.)

Agriculture - products:
coffee, cocoa, cotton, yams, cassava (tapioca), corn, beans, rice,
millet, sorghum; livestock; fish

Industries:
phosphate mining, agricultural processing, cement; handicrafts,
textiles, beverages

Industrial production growth rate:
NA

Electricity - production:
101.6 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
614.5 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
520 million kWh; note - electricity supplied by Ghana (2001)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
10,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Current account balance:
$-140 million (2003)

Exports:
$398.1 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities:
reexports, cotton, phosphates, coffee, cocoa

Exports - partners:
Burkina Faso 16.6%, Ghana 15.4%, Netherlands 13%, Benin 9.6%, Mali
7.7% (2003)

Imports:
$501.3 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products

Imports - partners:
France 21.1%, Netherlands 12.1%, Cote d'Ivoire 5.9%, Germany 4.6%,
Italy 4.4%, South Africa 4.3%, China 4.1% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$257 million (2003)

Debt - external:
$1.4 billion (2000)

Economic aid - recipient:
ODA $80 million (2000 est.)

Currency:
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible
authority is the Central Bank of the West African States

Currency code:
XOF

Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 581.2
(2003), 696.988 (2002), 733.039 (2001), 711.976 (2000), 615.699
(1999)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Togo

Telephones - main lines in use:
60,600 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
220,000 (2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: fair system based on a network of microwave
radio relay routes supplemented by open-wire lines and a mobile
cellular system
domestic: microwave radio relay and open-wire lines for conventional
system; cellular system has capacity of 10,000 telephones
international: country code - 228; satellite earth stations - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Symphonie

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 4 (1998)

Radios:
940,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
3 (plus two repeaters) (1997)

Televisions:
73,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.tg

Internet hosts:
82 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
3 (2001)

Internet users:
210,000 (2003)

Transportation Togo

Railways: total: 568 km narrow gauge: 568 km 1.000-m gauge (2003)

Highways: total: 7,520 km paved: 2,376 km unpaved: 5,144 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
50 km (seasonally on Mono River depending on rainfall) (2003)

Ports and harbors:
Kpeme, Lome

Merchant marine:
total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 3,918 GRT/3,852 DWT
by type: cargo 1, specialized tanker 1
registered in other countries: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports:
9 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)

Military Togo

Military branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, Gendarmerie

Military manpower - military age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary and compulsory military service (2001)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 1,316,455 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 690,331 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$32.6 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.9% (2003)

Transnational Issues Togo

Disputes - international:
in 2001 Benin claimed Togo moved boundary monuments - joint
commission continues to resurvey the boundary

Illicit drugs:
transit hub for Nigerian heroin and cocaine traffickers; money
laundering not a significant problem

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

@Tokelau

Introduction Tokelau

Background:
Originally settled by Polynesian emigrants from surrounding island
groups, the Tokelau Islands were made a British protectorate in
1889. They were transferred to New Zealand administration in 1925.

Geography Tokelau

Location:
Oceania, group of three atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about
one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Geographic coordinates:
9 00 S, 172 00 W

Map references:
Oceania

Area:
total: 10 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 10 sq km

Area - comparative:
about 17 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
101 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:
tropical; moderated by trade winds (April to November)

Terrain:
low-lying coral atolls enclosing large lagoons

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location 5 m

Natural resources:
NEGL

Land use:
arable land: 0% (soil is thin and infertile)
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2001)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
lies in Pacific typhoon belt

Environment - current issues:
very limited natural resources and overcrowding are contributing to
emigration to New Zealand

Geography - note:
consists of three atolls, each with a lagoon surrounded by a number
of reef-bound islets of varying length and rising to over three
meters above sea level

People Tokelau

Population: 1,405 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 42% 15-64 years: 53% 65 years and over: 5% (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
-0.01% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
NA births/1,000 population

Death rate:
NA deaths/1,000 population

Net migration rate:
NA migrant(s)/1,000 population

Sex ratio:
NA

Infant mortality rate:
total: NA
male: NA
female: NA

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: NA years
male: 68 years
female: 70 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
NA children born/woman

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Tokelauan(s)
adjective: Tokelauan

Ethnic groups:
Polynesian

Religions:
Congregational Christian Church 70%, Roman Catholic 28%, other 2%
note: on Atafu, all Congregational Christian Church of Samoa; on
Nukunonu, all Roman Catholic; on Fakaofo, both denominations, with
the Congregational Christian Church predominant

Languages:
Tokelauan (a Polynesian language), English

Literacy:
NA

Government Tokelau

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Tokelau

Dependency status:
self-administering territory of New Zealand; note - Tokelauans are
drafting a constitution and developing institutions and patterns of
self-government as Tokelau moves toward free association with New
Zealand

Government type:
NA

Capital:
none; each atoll has its own administrative center

Administrative divisions:
none (territory of New Zealand)

Independence:
none (territory of New Zealand)

National holiday:
Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty
over New Zealand), 6 February (1840)

Constitution:
administered under the Tokelau Islands Act of 1948, as amended in
1970

Legal system:
New Zealand and local statutes

Suffrage:
21 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); the UK
and New Zealand are represented by Administrator Neil WALTER (since
NA 2002)
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed
by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade in New Zealand; the
head of government is chosen from the Council of Faipule and serves
a one-year term
head of government: Aliki Faipule Kuresa NASAU (since 2004) note -
position rotates annually among members of the cabinet
cabinet: the Council of Faipule, consisting of three elected leaders
- one from each atoll - functions as a cabinet

Legislative branch:
unicameral General Fono (48 seats; 15 members from each of the
three islands elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms and
the 3 island village mayors [pulenuku]); note - the Tokelau
Amendment Act of 1996 confers limited legislative power on the
General Fono

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court in New Zealand exercises civil and criminal
jurisdiction in Tokelau

Political parties and leaders:
none

Political pressure groups and leaders:
none

International organization participation:
UNESCO (associate), UPU

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (territory of New Zealand)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (territory of New Zealand)

Flag description:
the flag of New Zealand is used

Economy Tokelau

Economy - overview:
Tokelau's small size (three villages), isolation, and lack of
resources greatly restrain economic development and confine
agriculture to the subsistence level. The people rely heavily on aid
from New Zealand - about $4 million annually - to maintain public
services, with annual aid being substantially greater than GDP. The
principal sources of revenue come from sales of copra, postage
stamps, souvenir coins, and handicrafts. Money is also remitted to
families from relatives in New Zealand.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $1.5 million (1993 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
NA

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $1,000 (1993 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA
industry: NA
services: NA

Population below poverty line:
NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
NA

Labor force:
NA

Unemployment rate:
NA

Budget:
revenues: $430,800
expenditures: $2.8 million, including capital expenditures of
$37,300 (1987 est.)

Agriculture - products:
coconuts, copra, breadfruit, papayas, bananas; pigs, poultry, goats

Industries:
small-scale enterprises for copra production, woodworking, plaited
craft goods; stamps, coins; fishing

Industrial production growth rate:
NA

Electricity - production:
NA kWh

Electricity - consumption:
NA kWh

Exports:
$98,000 f.o.b. (1983)

Exports - commodities:
stamps, copra, handicrafts

Exports - partners:
New Zealand (2000)

Imports:
$323,000 c.i.f. (1983)

Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, building materials, fuel

Imports - partners:
New Zealand (2000)

Debt - external:
$0

Economic aid - recipient:
from New Zealand about $4 million annually

Currency:
New Zealand dollar (NZD)

Currency code:
NZD

Exchange rates:
New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.7229 (2003), 2.154 (2002),
2.3776 (2001), 2.1863 (2000), 1.8886 (1999)

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications Tokelau

Telephones - main lines in use:
300 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
0 (2001)

Telephone system:
general assessment: adequate
domestic: radiotelephone service between islands
international: country code - 690; radiotelephone service to Samoa;
government-regulated telephone service (TeleTok), with 3 satellite
earth stations, established in 1997

Radio broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA note: each atoll has a radio broadcast station of unknown type that broadcasts shipping and weather reports (1998)

Radios:
1,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.tk

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
NA

Transportation Tokelau

Highways: total: NA km paved: NA km unpaved: NA km

Ports and harbors:
none; offshore anchorage only

Merchant marine:
none

Airports:
none; lagoon landings are possible by amphibious aircraft (2003
est.)

Military Tokelau

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of New Zealand

Transnational Issues Tokelau

Disputes - international: none

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

@Tonga

Introduction Tonga

Background:
The archipelago of "The Friendly Islands" was united into a
Polynesian kingdom in 1845. It became a constitutional monarchy in
1875 and a British protectorate in 1900. Tonga acquired its
independence in 1970 and became a member of the Commonwealth of
Nations. It remains the only monarchy in the Pacific.

Geography Tonga

Location:
Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds
of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Geographic coordinates:
20 00 S, 175 00 W

Map references:
Oceania

Area:
total: 748 sq km
water: 30 sq km
land: 718 sq km

Area - comparative:
four times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
419 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:
tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season (December to May),
cool season (May to December)

Terrain:
most islands have limestone base formed from uplifted coral
formation; others have limestone overlying volcanic base

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Kao Island 1,033 m

Natural resources:
fish, fertile soil

Land use:
arable land: 23.61%
permanent crops: 43.06%
other: 33.33% (2001)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
cyclones (October to April); earthquakes and volcanic activity on
Fonuafo'ou

Environment - current issues:
deforestation results as more and more land is being cleared for
agriculture and settlement; some damage to coral reefs from starfish
and indiscriminate coral and shell collectors; overhunting threatens
native sea turtle populations

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the
Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
archipelago of 169 islands (36 inhabited)

People Tonga

Population:
110,237 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 37.1% (male 20,873; female 20,050)
15-64 years: 58.7% (male 32,018; female 32,707)
65 years and over: 4.2% (male 2,005; female 2,584) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 20.1 years
male: 19.7 years
female: 20.7 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.94% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
24.87 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
5.45 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 12.99 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 11.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 14.36 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.2 years
male: 66.74 years
female: 71.79 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
3 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Tongan(s)
adjective: Tongan

Ethnic groups:
Polynesian, Europeans about 300

Religions:
Christian (Free Wesleyan Church claims over 30,000 adherents)

Languages:
Tongan, English

Literacy:
definition: can read and write Tongan and/or English
total population: 98.5%
male: 98.4%
female: 98.7% (1996 est.)

Government Tonga

Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Tonga
conventional short form: Tonga
former: Friendly Islands

Government type:
hereditary constitutional monarchy

Capital:
Nuku'alofa

Administrative divisions:
3 island groups; Ha'apai, Tongatapu, Vava'u

Independence:
4 June 1970 (from UK protectorate)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 4 June (1970)

Constitution:
4 November 1875, revised 1 January 1967

Legal system:
based on English law

Suffrage:
21 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: King Taufa'ahau TUPOU IV (since 16 December 1965)
note: there is also a Privy Council that consists of the monarch,
the Cabinet, and two governors
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister and
deputy prime minister appointed for life by the monarch
cabinet: Cabinet, appointed by the monarch, consists of 12 members
head of government: Prime Minister Prince Lavaka ata ULUKALALA
(since NA February 2000) and Deputy Prime Minister James C. COCKER
(since NA January 2001)

Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fale Alea (30 seats - 12
reserved for cabinet ministers sitting ex officio, nine for nobles
selected by the country's 33 nobles, and nine elected by popular
vote; members serve three-year terms)
elections: last held 7 March 2002 (next to be held NA 2005)
election results: percent of vote - HRDMT 70%; seats - HRDMT 7,
traditionalist 2

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the monarch); Court of
Appeal (consists of the Privy Council with the addition of the chief
justice of the Supreme Court)

Political parties and leaders:
there are no political parties

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Human Rights and Democracy Movement Tonga or HRDMT [Rev. Simote
VEA, chair]

International organization participation:
ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Sonatane T. T. TUPOU chancery: 250 East 51st Street, New York, NY 10022 telephone: (917) 369-1025 consulate(s) general: San Francisco FAX: (917) 369-1024

Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Tonga; the ambassador to Fiji is
accredited to Tonga

Flag description:
red with a bold red cross on a white rectangle in the upper
hoist-side corner

Economy Tonga

Economy - overview:
Tonga, a small, open, South Pacific island economy, has a narrow
export base in agricultural goods. Squash, coconuts, bananas, and
vanilla beans are the main crops, and agricultural exports make up
two-thirds of total exports. The country must import a high
proportion of its food, mainly from New Zealand. Tourism is the
second-largest source of hard currency earnings following
remittances. The country remains dependent on external aid and
remittances from Tongan communities overseas to offset its trade
deficit. The government is emphasizing the development of the
private sector, especially the encouragement of investment, and is
committing increased funds for health and education. Tonga has a
reasonably sound basic infrastructure and well-developed social
services. High unemployment among the young and the continuing
upturn in inflation are major issues facing the government.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $236 million (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
3% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $2,200 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 26%
industry: 12%
services: 62% (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
10.3% (2002 est.)

Labor force:
33,910 (1996)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 65% (1997 est.)

Unemployment rate:
13.3% (1996 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $39.9 million
expenditures: $52.4 million, including capital expenditures of $1.9
million (FY99/00 est.)

Agriculture - products: squash, coconuts, copra, bananas, vanilla beans, cocoa, coffee, ginger, black pepper; fish

Industries:
tourism, fishing

Industrial production growth rate:
8.6% (FY98/99)

Electricity - production:
27.27 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
25.36 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
1,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Exports:
$27 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities:
squash, fish, vanilla beans, root crops

Exports - partners:
US 50%, Japan 35.7%, Italy 3.6% (2003)

Imports:
$86 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, fuels, chemicals

Imports - partners:
New Zealand 43.4%, Fiji 22.2%, Australia 11.1%, US 6.1% (2003)

Debt - external:
$63.4 million (2001)

Economic aid - recipient:
Australia $5.5 million, New Zealand $2.3 million (FY01/02)

Currency:
pa'anga (TOP)

Currency code:
TOP

Exchange rates:
pa'anga per US dollar - NA (2003), 2.1952 (2002), 2.1236 (2001),
1.7585 (2000), 1.5991 (1999)

Fiscal year:
1 July - 30 June

Communications Tonga

Telephones - main lines in use:
11,200 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
3,400 (2002)

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: country code - 676; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (1996)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1 (2001)

Radios:
61,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
2 (2001)

Televisions:
2,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.to

Internet hosts:
18,906 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2000)

Internet users:
2,900 (2002)

Transportation Tonga

Highways: total: 680 km paved: 184 km unpaved: 496 km (1999 est.)

Ports and harbors:
Neiafu, Nuku'alofa, Pangai

Merchant marine:
total: 40 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 136,977 GRT/200,751 DWT
foreign-owned: Albania 1, Australia 4, Brazil 1, Cyprus 1, Egypt 1,
Greece 1, Lebanon 1, Liberia 1, Marshall Islands 1, Norway 1, Panama
2, Romania 1, Russia 1, Saudi Arabia 1, Switzerland 3, Syria 1,
United (2004 est.)
by type: bulk 3, cargo 21, chemical tanker 2, container 1, liquefied
gas 4, petroleum tanker 5, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 1,
specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 1

Airports:
6 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Military Tonga

Military branches:
Tonga Defense Services: Ground Forces (Royal Marines, Royal Guard),
Maritime Force (including Air Wing)

Military manpower - military age and obligation:
18 years of age (est.) (2004)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA

Transnational Issues Tonga

Disputes - international: none

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

@Trinidad and Tobago

Introduction Trinidad and Tobago

Background:
The islands came under British control in the 19th century;
independence was granted in 1962. The country is one of the most
prosperous in the Caribbean thanks largely to petroleum and natural
gas production and processing. Tourism, mostly in Tobago, is
targeted for expansion and is growing.

Geography Trinidad and Tobago

Location:
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic
Ocean, northeast of Venezuela

Geographic coordinates:
11 00 N, 61 00 W

Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 5,128 sq km
land: 5,128 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Delaware

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
362 km

Maritime claims:
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the outer edge of the continental
margin
contiguous zone: 24 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate:
tropical; rainy season (June to December)

Terrain:
mostly plains with some hills and low mountains

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: El Cerro del Aripo 940 m

Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, asphalt

Land use: arable land: 14.62% permanent crops: 9.16% other: 76.22% (2001)

Irrigated land:
30 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
outside usual path of hurricanes and other tropical storms

Environment - current issues: water pollution from agricultural chemicals, industrial wastes, and raw sewage; oil pollution of beaches; deforestation; soil erosion

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
Pitch Lake, on Trinidad's southwestern coast, is the world's
largest natural reservoir of asphalt

People Trinidad and Tobago

Population:
1,096,585 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 21.4% (male 120,153; female 114,205)
15-64 years: 70.6% (male 403,202; female 370,498)
65 years and over: 8.1% (male 39,762; female 48,765) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 30.4 years
male: 30 years
female: 30.9 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
-0.71% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
12.75 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
9.02 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
-10.83 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 24.64 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 22.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 26.58 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.28 years
male: 66.86 years
female: 71.82 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.77 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
3.2% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
29,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
1,900 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Trinidadian(s), Tobagonian(s)
adjective: Trinidadian, Tobagonian

Ethnic groups:
East Indian (a local term - primarily immigrants from northern
India) 40.3%, black 39.5%, mixed 18.4%, white 0.6%, Chinese and
other 1.2%

Religions:
Roman Catholic 29.4%, Hindu 23.8%, Anglican 10.9%, Muslim 5.8%,
Presbyterian 3.4%, other 26.7%

Languages:
English (official), Hindi, French, Spanish, Chinese

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.6%
male: 99.1%
female: 98% (2003 est.)

Government Trinidad and Tobago

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
conventional short form: Trinidad and Tobago

Government type:
parliamentary democracy

Capital:
Port-of-Spain

Administrative divisions:
9 regional corporations, 2 city corporations, 3 borough
corporations, and 1 ward
: regional corporations: Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo, Diego Martin,
Mayaro/Rio Claro, Penal/Debe, Princes Town, Sangre Grande, San
Juan/Laventille, Siparia, Tunapuna/Piarco
: city corporations: Port of Spain, San Fernando;
: ward: Tobago
: borough corporations: Arima, Point Fortin, Chaguanas

Independence:
31 August 1962 (from UK)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 31 August (1962)

Constitution:
1 August 1976

Legal system:
based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts in
the Supreme Court; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President George Maxwell RICHARDS (since 17 March
2003)
elections: president elected by an electoral college, which consists
of the members of the Senate and House of Representatives, for a
five-year term; election last held 14 February 2003 (next to be held
in 2008); the president usually appoints as prime minister the
leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives
election results: George Maxwell RICHARDS elected president; percent
of electoral college vote - 43%
cabinet: Cabinet appointed from among the members of Parliament
head of government: Prime Minister Patrick MANNING (since 24
December 2001)

Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (31 seats; 16 members
appointed by the ruling party, 9 by the President, 6 by the
opposition party for a maximum term of five years) and the House of
Representatives (36 seats; members are elected by popular vote to
serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 7 October 2002 (next
to be held by October 2007)
note: Tobago has a unicameral House of Assembly with 12 members
serving four-year terms
election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote - PNM
55.5%, UNC 44.5%; seats by party - PNM 20, UNC 16

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of Judicature (comprised of the High Court of Justice
and the Court of Appeals; the chief justice is appointed by the
president after consultation with the prime minister and the leader
of the opposition; other justices are appointed by the president on
the advice of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission); High Court
of Justice; Court of Appeals; the highest court of appeal is the
Privy Council in London

Political parties and leaders:
National Alliance for Reconstruction or NAR [Lennox SANKERSINGH];
People's National Movement or PNM [Patrick MANNING]; Team Unity or
TU [Ramesh MAHARAJ]; United National Congress or UNC [Basdeo
PANDAY]; Democratic Action Committee or DAC [Hochoy CHARLES], note -
only active in Tobago

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Jamaat-al Muslimeen [Yasin BAKR]

International organization participation:
ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Marina Annette VALERE
chancery: 1708 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: (202) 467-6490
FAX: (202) 785-3130
consulate(s) general: Miami and New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Roy L. AUSTIN
embassy: 15 Queen's Park West, Port-of-Spain
mailing address: P. O. Box 752, Port-of-Spain
telephone: (868) 622-6372 through 6376, 622-6176
FAX: (868) 628-5462

Flag description:
red with a white-edged black diagonal band from the upper hoist
side to the lower fly side

Economy Trinidad and Tobago

Economy - overview:
Trinidad and Tobago, the leading Caribbean producer of oil and gas,
has earned a reputation as an excellent investment site for
international businesses. Tourism is a growing sector, although not
proportionately as important as in many other Caribbean islands. The
economy benefits from low inflation and a growing trade surplus.
Prospects for growth in 2004 are good as prices for oil,
petrochemicals, and liquified natural gas are expected to remain
high, and foreign direct investment continues to grow to support
expanded capacity in the energy sector. The government is coping
with a rise in violent crime.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $10.52 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
3.7% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $9,500 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 2.6% industry: 49% services: 48.4% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
14.8% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line:
21% (1992 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.8% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
590,000 (2003)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 9.5%, manufacturing, mining, and quarrying 14%, construction and utilities 12.4%, services 64.1% (1997 est.)

Unemployment rate:
10.4% (2003)

Budget:
revenues: $2.663 billion
expenditures: $2.51 billion, including capital expenditures of
$117.3 million (2003)

Public debt:
55.9% of GDP (2003)

Agriculture - products:
cocoa, sugarcane, rice, citrus, coffee, vegetables; poultry

Industries:
petroleum, chemicals, tourism, food processing, cement, beverage,
cotton textiles

Industrial production growth rate:
5.7% (2003 est.)

Electricity - production:
5.315 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
4.943 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
136,200 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
24,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
990 million bbl (1 January 2004)

Natural gas - production:
25 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
13.76 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
11.79 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
589 billion cu m (1 January 2004)

Current account balance:
$954 million (2003)

Exports:
$4.9 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities:
petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, steel products,
fertilizer, sugar, cocoa, coffee, citrus, flowers

Exports - partners:
US 63.5%, Jamaica 5.6%, France 3.2% (2003)

Imports:
$3.917 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery, transportation equipment, manufactured goods, food, live
animals

Imports - partners:
US 31.7%, Venezuela 13.6%, Brazil 7.3%, Germany 6.6%, UK 5.1%,
Japan 4.3% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$2.477 billion (2003)

Debt - external:
$2.608 billion (2003 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$24 million (1999 est.)

Currency:
Trinidad and Tobago dollar (TTD)

Currency code:
TTD

Exchange rates:
Trinidad and Tobago dollars per US dollar - 6.2929 (2003), 6.2487
(2002), 6.2332 (2001), 6.2998 (2000), 6.2989 (1999)

Fiscal year:
1 October - 30 September

Communications Trinidad and Tobago

Telephones - main lines in use:
325,100 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
361,900 (2002)

Telephone system:
general assessment: excellent international service; good local
service
domestic: NA
international: country code - 1-868; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Barbados and
Guyana

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 4, FM 18, shortwave 0 (2004)

Radios:
680,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
4 (2004)

Televisions:
425,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.tt

Internet hosts:
8,003 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
17 (2000)

Internet users:
138,000 (2002)

Transportation Trinidad and Tobago

Highways: total: 8,320 km paved: 4,252 km unpaved: 4,068 km (1999 est.)

Pipelines:
condensate 253 km; gas 1,117 km; oil 478 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Pointe-a-Pierre, Point Fortin, Point Lisas, Port-of-Spain,
Scarborough, Tembladora

Merchant marine:
total: 5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 7,178 GRT/3,633 DWT
registered in other countries: 4 (2004 est.)
foreign-owned: United States 1
by type: cargo 1, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker
1, short-sea/passenger 1

Airports:
6 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 3 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)

Military Trinidad and Tobago

Military branches:
Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force: Ground Force, Coast Guard, and
Air Wing

Military manpower - military age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription
(2001)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 326,447 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 232,234 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$66.7 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
0.6% (2003)

Transnational Issues Trinidad and Tobago

Disputes - international:
Barbados will assert its claim before UNCLOS that the northern
limit of Trinidad and Tobago's maritime boundary with Venezuela
extends into its waters; Guyana has also expressed its intention to
challenge this boundary as it may extend into its waters as well

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US
and Europe; producer of cannabis

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

@Tromelin Island

Introduction Tromelin Island

Background:
First explored by the French in 1776, the island came under the
jurisdiction of Reunion in 1814. At present, it serves as a sea
turtle sanctuary and is the site of an important meteorological
station.

Geography Tromelin Island

Location:
Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar

Geographic coordinates:
15 52 S, 54 25 E

Map references:
Africa

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:
3.7 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate:
tropical

Terrain:
low, flat, and sandy; likely volcanic

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 7 m

Natural resources: fish

Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (grasses; scattered bushes) (2001)

Irrigated land:
0 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
NA

Geography - note:
climatologically important location for forecasting cyclones;
wildlife sanctuary (seabirds, tortoises)

People Tromelin Island

Population: uninhabited, except for visits by scientists (July 2004 est.)

Government Tromelin Island

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Tromelin Island
local short form: Ile Tromelin
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

Flag description:
the flag of France is used

Economy Tromelin Island

Economy - overview: no economic activity

Communications Tromelin Island

Communications - note: important meteorological station

Transportation Tromelin Island

Ports and harbors:
none; offshore anchorage only

Airports:
1 (2003 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Military Tromelin Island

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of France

Transnational Issues Tromelin Island

Disputes - international: claimed by Mauritius

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

@Tunisia

Introduction Tunisia

Background:
Following independence from France in 1956, President Habib
BOURGUIBA established a strict one-party state. He dominated the
country for 31 years, repressing Islamic fundamentalism and
establishing rights for women unmatched by any other Arab nation. In
recent years, Tunisia has taken a moderate, non-aligned stance in
its foreign relations. Domestically, it has sought to defuse rising
pressure for a more open political society.

Geography Tunisia

Location:
Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Algeria
and Libya

Geographic coordinates:
34 00 N, 9 00 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 163,610 sq km
water: 8,250 sq km
land: 155,360 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Georgia

Land boundaries: total: 1,424 km border countries: Algeria 965 km, Libya 459 km

Coastline: 1,148 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm

Climate:
temperate in north with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers;
desert in south

Terrain:
mountains in north; hot, dry central plain; semiarid south merges
into the Sahara

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Shatt al Gharsah -17 m
highest point: Jebel ech Chambi 1,544 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt

Land use:
arable land: 17.86%
permanent crops: 13.74%
other: 68.4% (2001)

Irrigated land:
3,800 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues: toxic and hazardous waste disposal is ineffective and poses health risks; water pollution from raw sewage; 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, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note:
strategic location in central Mediterranean; Malta and Tunisia are
discussing the commercial exploitation of the continental shelf
between their countries, particularly for oil exploration

People Tunisia

Population:
9,974,722 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 26% (male 1,337,546; female 1,253,814)
15-64 years: 67.5% (male 3,373,199; female 3,360,402)
65 years and over: 6.5% (male 315,151; female 334,610) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 26.8 years
male: 26.3 years
female: 27.3 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.01% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
15.74 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
5.05 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
-0.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 25.76 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 22.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 28.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.66 years
male: 73 years
female: 76.44 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.79 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
1,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 200 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Tunisian(s)
adjective: Tunisian

Ethnic groups:
Arab 98%, European 1%, Jewish and other 1%

Religions:
Muslim 98%, Christian 1%, Jewish and other 1%

Languages:
Arabic (official and one of the languages of commerce), French
(commerce)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 74.2%
male: 84%
female: 64.4% (2003 est.)

Government Tunisia

Country name:
conventional long form: Tunisian Republic
conventional short form: Tunisia
local short form: Tunis
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah at Tunisiyah

Government type:
republic

Capital:
Tunis

Administrative divisions:
24 governorates; Ariana (Aryanah), Beja (Bajah), Ben Arous (Bin
'Arus), Bizerte (Banzart), Gabes (Qabis), Gafsa (Qafsah), Jendouba
(Jundubah), Kairouan (Al Qayrawan), Kasserine (Al Qasrayn), Kebili
(Qibili), Kef (Al Kaf), Mahdia (Al Mahdiyah), Manouba (Manubah),
Medenine (Madanin), Monastir (Al Munastir), Nabeul (Nabul), Sfax
(Safaqis), Sidi Bou Zid (Sidi Bu Zayd), Siliana (Silyanah), Sousse
(Susah), Tataouine (Tatawin), Tozeur (Tawzar), Tunis, Zaghouan
(Zaghwan)

Independence:
20 March 1956 (from France)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 20 March (1956)

Constitution:
1 June 1959; amended 12 July 1988

Legal system:
based on French civil law system and Islamic law; some judicial
review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session

Suffrage:
20 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI (since 7 November
1987)
head of government: Prime Minister Mohamed GHANNOUCHI (since 17
November 1999)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 24 October 2004 (next to be held October 2009);
prime minister appointed by the president
election results: President Zine El Abidine BEN ALI reelected for a
fourth term; percent of vote - Zine El Abidine BEN ALI 94.5%,
Mohamed BOUCHIHA 3.8%, Mohamed Ali HALOUANI 1%

Legislative branch:
unicameral Chamber of Deputies or Majlis al-Nuwaab (189 seats;
members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 24 October 2004 (next to be held October 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
RCD 152, MDS 14, PUP 11, UDU 7, Al-Tajdid 3, PSL 2

Judicial branch:
Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation

Political parties and leaders:
Al-Tajdid Movement [Ali HALOUANI]; Constitutional Democratic Rally
Party (Rassemblement Constitutionnel Democratique) or RCD [President
Zine El Abidine BEN ALI (official ruling party)]; Liberal Social
Party or PSL [Mounir BEJI]; Movement of Socialist Democrats or MDS
[Ismail BOULAHYA]; Popular Unity Party or PUP [Mohamed BOUCHIHA];
Progressive Democratic Party [Nejib CHEBBI]; Unionist Democratic
Union or UDU [Abderrahmane TLILI]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
the Islamic fundamentalist party, Al Nahda (Renaissance), is
outlawed

International organization participation:
ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BSEC (observer), FAO, G-77,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, MONUC, NAM,
OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNOCI, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d' Affaires Tarek
Azouz
FAX: (202) 862-1858
telephone: (202) 862-1850
chancery: 1515 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20005

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador William J. HUDSON
embassy: Zone Nord-Est des Berges du Lac Nord de Tunis, 2045 La
Goulette, Tunisia
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: 71 107-000
FAX: 71 962-115

Flag description:
red with a white disk in the center bearing a red crescent nearly
encircling a red five-pointed star; the crescent and star are
traditional symbols of Islam

Economy Tunisia

Economy - overview:
Tunisia has a diverse economy, with important agricultural, mining,
energy, tourism, and manufacturing sectors. Governmental control of
economic affairs while still heavy has gradually lessened over the
past decade with increasing privatization, simplification of the tax
structure, and a prudent approach to debt. Real growth, averaging 5%
for the latter half of the last decade, slowed to a 15-year low of
1.9% in 2002 because of agricultural drought, slow investment, and
lackluster tourism. Better rains in 2003, however, pushed GDP growth
up to an estimated 6 percent, and tourism also recovered after the
end of combat operations in Iraq. GDP growth remained at 6% in 2004.
Tunisia has agreed to gradually remove barriers to trade with the
European Union over the next decade. Broader privatization, further
liberalization of the investment code to increase foreign
investment, improvements in government efficiency, and reduction of
the trade deficit are among the challenges for the future.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $68.23 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
5.1% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $6,900 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 13.9% industry: 32.2% services: 53.9% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
24.2% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line:
7.6% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.3% highest 10%: 31.8% (1995)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
41.7 (1995)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.7% (2003 est.)

Labor force: 3.461 million note: shortage of skilled labor (2003 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
services 55%, industry 23%, agriculture 22% (1995 est.)

Unemployment rate:
14.3% (2003 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $6.101 billion
expenditures: $6.855 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.6
billion (2003 est.)

Public debt:
59.5% of GDP (2003)

Agriculture - products:
olives, olive oil, grain, dairy products, tomatoes, citrus fruit,
beef, sugar beets, dates, almonds

Industries:
petroleum, mining (particularly phosphate and iron ore), tourism,
textiles, footwear, agribusiness, beverages

Industrial production growth rate:
-0.1% (2003 est.)

Electricity - production:
10.48 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
9.748 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
1 million kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
72,580 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
87,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
417 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production:
2.25 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
3.83 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
1.58 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
77.16 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

Current account balance:
$-738.6 million (2003)

Exports:
$8.035 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities:
textiles, mechanical goods, phosphates and chemicals, agricultural
products, hydrocarbons

Exports - partners:
France 32.6%, Italy 21.9%, Germany 10.7%, Spain 4.7%, Libya 4.4%
(2003)

Imports:
$10.3 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities:
textiles, machinery and equipment, hydrocarbons, chemicals, food

Imports - partners:
France 26.1%, Italy 19.8%, Germany 8.9%, Spain 5.2% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$2.949 billion (2003)

Debt - external:
$14.39 billion (2003 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$378 million (2001)

Currency:
Tunisian dinar (TND)

Currency code:
TND

Exchange rates:
Tunisian dinars per US dollar - 1.2885 (2003), 1.4217 (2002),
1.4387 (2001), 1.3707 (2000), 1.1862 (1999)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Tunisia

Telephones - main lines in use:
1,163,800 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
1,899,900 (2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: above the African average and continuing to be
upgraded; key centers are Sfax, Sousse, Bizerte, and Tunis; Internet
access available
domestic: trunk facilities consist of open-wire lines, coaxial
cable, and microwave radio relay
international: country code - 216; 5 submarine cables; satellite
earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; coaxial
cable and microwave radio relay to Algeria and Libya; participant in
Medarabtel; two international gateway digital switches

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 7, FM 20, shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios:
2.06 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
26 (plus 76 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions:
920,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.tn

Internet hosts:
281 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
630,000 (2003)

Transportation Tunisia

Railways:
total: 2,152 km
standard gauge: 468 km 1.435-m gauge
dual gauge: 10 km 1.435-m and 1.000-m gauges (three rails) (2003)
narrow gauge: 1,674 km 1.000-m gauge (65 km electrified)

Highways:
total: 18,997 km
paved: 12,310 km (including 142 km of expressways)
unpaved: 6,687 km (2000)

Pipelines:
gas 3,059 km; oil 1,203 km; refined products 345 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Bizerte, Gabes, La Goulette, Sfax, Sousse, Tunis, Zarzis

Merchant marine:
total: 11 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 124,733 GRT/122,664 DWT
registered in other countries: 2 (2004 est.)
by type: bulk 2, cargo 1, chemical tanker 4, liquefied gas 1,
short-sea/passenger 3

Airports:
30 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 14 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 16 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 7 (2004 est.)

Military Tunisia

Military branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force

Military manpower - military age and obligation: 20 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 12 months; 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2004)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 2,918,524 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 1,655,910 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 106,565 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$356 million (FY99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.5% (FY99)

Transnational Issues Tunisia

Disputes - international: none

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

@Turkey

Introduction Turkey

Background:
Modern Turkey was founded in 1923 from the Anatolian remnants of
the defeated Ottoman Empire by national hero Mustafa KEMAL, who was
later honored with the title Ataturk, or "Father of the Turks."
Under his authoritarian leadership, the country adopted wide-ranging
social, legal, and political reforms. After a period of one-party
rule, an experiment with multi-party politics led to the 1950
election victory of the opposition Democratic Party and the peaceful
transfer of power. Since then, Turkish political parties have
multiplied, but democracy has been fractured by periods of
instability and intermittent military coups (1960, 1971, 1980),
which in each case eventually resulted in a return of political
power to civilians. In 1997, the military again helped engineer the
ouster - popularly dubbed a "post-modern coup" - of the then
Islamic-oriented government. Turkey intervened militarily on Cyprus
in 1974 to prevent a Greek takeover of the island and has since
acted as patron state to the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus,"
which only Turkey recognizes. A separatist insurgency begun in 1984
by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) - now known as the People's
Congress of Kurdistan or Kongra-Gel (KGK) - has dominated the
Turkish military's attention and claimed more than 30,000 lives, but
after the capture of the group's leader in 1999, the insurgents
largely withdrew from Turkey, mainly to northern Iraq. In 2004, KGK
announced an end to its ceasefire and attacks attributed to the KGK
increased. Turkey joined the UN in 1945 and in 1952 it became a
member of NATO. In 1964, Turkey became an associate member of the
European Community; over the past decade, it has undertaken many
reforms to strengthen its democracy and economy, enabling it to
begin accession membership talks with the European Union.

Geography Turkey

Location:
southeastern Europe and southwestern Asia (that portion of Turkey
west of the Bosporus is geographically part of Europe), bordering
the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Georgia, and bordering the
Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, between Greece and Syria

Geographic coordinates:
39 00 N, 35 00 E

Map references:
Middle East

Area:
total: 780,580 sq km
water: 9,820 sq km
land: 770,760 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Texas

Land boundaries:
total: 2,648 km
border countries: Armenia 268 km, Azerbaijan 9 km, Bulgaria 240 km,
Georgia 252 km, Greece 206 km, Iran 499 km, Iraq 352 km, Syria 822 km

Coastline:
7,200 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 6 nm in the Aegean Sea; 12 nm in Black Sea and in
Mediterranean Sea
exclusive economic zone: in Black Sea only: to the maritime boundary
agreed upon with the former USSR

Climate:
temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in
interior

Terrain:
high central plateau (Anatolia); narrow coastal plain; several
mountain ranges

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Ararat 5,166 m

Natural resources:
coal, iron ore, copper, chromium, antimony, mercury, gold, barite,
borate, celestite (strontium), emery, feldspar, limestone,
magnesite, marble, perlite, pumice, pyrites (sulfur), clay, arable
land, hydropower

Land use: arable land: 30.93% permanent crops: 3.31% other: 65.76% (2001)

Irrigated land:
42,000 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
very severe earthquakes, especially in northern Turkey, along an
arc extending from the Sea of Marmara to Lake Van

Environment - current issues: water pollution from dumping of chemicals and detergents; air pollution, particularly in urban areas; deforestation; concern for oil spills from increasing Bosporus ship traffic

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification

Geography - note:
strategic location controlling the Turkish Straits (Bosporus, Sea
of Marmara, Dardanelles) that link Black and Aegean Seas; Mount
Ararat, the legendary landing place of Noah's Ark, is in the far
eastern portion of the country

People Turkey

Population:
68,893,918 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 26.6% (male 9,328,108; female 8,990,742)
15-64 years: 66.8% (male 23,394,465; female 22,650,532)
65 years and over: 6.6% (male 2,078,881; female 2,451,190) (2004
est.)

Median age: total: 27.3 years male: 27.1 years female: 27.5 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.13% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
17.22 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
5.95 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 42.62 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 38.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 46.3 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.08 years
male: 69.68 years
female: 74.61 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.98 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% - note: no country specific models provided (2001
est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Turk(s)
adjective: Turkish

Ethnic groups:
Turkish 80%, Kurdish 20% (estimated)

Religions:
Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews)

Languages:
Turkish (official), Kurdish, Arabic, Armenian, Greek

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86.5%
male: 94.3%
female: 78.7% (2003 est.)

Government Turkey

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Turkey
conventional short form: Turkey
local long form: Turkiye Cumhuriyeti
local short form: Turkiye

Government type:
republican parliamentary democracy

Capital:
Ankara

Administrative divisions:
81 provinces (iller, singular - il); Adana, Adiyaman,
Afyonkarahisar, Agri, Aksaray, Amasya, Ankara, Antalya, Ardahan,
Artvin, Aydin, Balikesir, Bartin, Batman, Bayburt, Bilecik, Bingol,
Bitlis, Bolu, Burdur, Bursa, Canakkale, Cankiri, Corum, Denizli,
Diyarbakir, Duzce, Edirne, Elazig, Erzincan, Erzurum, Eskisehir,
Gaziantep, Giresun, Gumushane, Hakkari, Hatay, Igdir, Isparta,
Istanbul, Izmir, Kahramanmaras, Karabuk, Karaman, Kars, Kastamonu,
Kayseri, Kilis, Kirikkale, Kirklareli, Kirsehir, Kocaeli, Konya,
Kutahya, Malatya, Manisa, Mardin, Mersin, Mugla, Mus, Nevsehir,
Nigde, Ordu, Osmaniye, Rize, Sakarya, Samsun, Sanliurfa, Siirt,
Sinop, Sirnak, Sivas, Tekirdag, Tokat, Trabzon, Tunceli, Usak, Van,
Yalova, Yozgat, Zonguldak

Independence:
29 October 1923 (successor state to the Ottoman Empire)

National holiday:
Republic Day, 29 October (1923)

Constitution:
7 November 1982

Legal system:
civil law system derived from various European continental legal
systems; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations;
note - member of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), although
Turkey claims limited derogations on the ratified European
Convention on Human Rights

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Ahmet Necdet SEZER (since 16 May 2000)
election results: Ahmed Necdet SEZER elected president on the third
ballot; percent of National Assembly vote - 60%
elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a
seven-year term; election last held 5 May 2000 (next to be held NA
May 2007); prime minister appointed by the president from among
members of parliament
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
nomination of the prime minister
head of government: Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN (14 March
2003)
note: president must have a two-thirds majority of the National
Assembly on the first two ballots and a simple majority on the third
ballot

Legislative branch:
unicameral Grand National Assembly of Turkey or Turkiye Buyuk
Millet Meclisi (550 seats; members are elected by popular vote to
serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 3 November 2002 (next to be held NA 2007); note
- a special rerun of the General Election in the province of Siirt
on 9 March 2003 resulted in the election of Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN to
a seat in parliament, a prerequisite for becoming prime minister on
14 March 2003
election results: percent of vote by party - AKP 34.3%, CHP 19.4%,
DYP 9.6%, MHP 8.3%, ANAP 5.1%, DSP 1.1%, and others; seats by party
- AKP 363, CHP 178, independents 9; note - parties surpassing the
10% threshold are entitled to parliamentary seats; seats by party as
of 1 December 2004 - AKP 368, CHP 171, DYP 4, LDP 1, independents 5,
vacant 1

Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court; High Court of Appeals (Yargitay); Council of
State (Danistay); Court of Accounts (Sayistay); Military High Court
of Appeals; Military High Administrative Court

Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Left Party or DSP [Mehmet Zeki SEZER]; Democratic
People's Party or DEHAP [Tuncer BAKIRHAN]; Justice and Development
Party or AKP [Recep Tayip ERDOGAN]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDP
[Emin SIRIN]; Motherland Party or ANAP [leader NA]; Nationalist
Action Party or MHP [Devlet BAHCELI]; Republican People's Party or
CHP (includes the New Turkey Party) [Deniz BAYKAL]; Felicity Party
(sometimes translated as Contentment Party) or SP [Necmettin
ERBEKAN]; Social Democratic People's Party or SHP [Murat
KARAYALCIN]; True Path Party (sometimes translated as Correct Way
Party) or DYP [Mehmet AGAR]
note: the parties listed above are some of the more significant of
the 49 parties that Turkey had on 1 December 2004

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Confederation of Public Sector Unions or KESK [Sami EVREN];
Confederation of Revolutionary Workers Unions or DISK [Suleyman
CELEBI]; Independent Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association
or MUSIAD [Omer BOLAT]; Moral Rights Workers Union or Hak-Is [Salim
USLU]; Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association or
TUSIAD [Omer SABANCI]; Turkish Confederation of Employers' Unions or
TISK [Refik BAYDUR]; Turkish Confederation of Labor or Turk-Is
[Salih KILIC]; Turkish Confederation of Tradesmen and Craftsmen or
TESK [Dervis GUNDAY]; Turkish Union of Chambers of Commerce and
Commodity Exchanges or TOBB [M. Rifat HISARCIKLIOGLU]

International organization participation:
AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CERN (observer), EAPC, EBRD,
ECO, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
IDB, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
ISO, ITU, MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIC, OPCW,
OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNOMIG, UNRWA,
UPU, WCO, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Osman Faruk LOGOGLU chancery: 2525 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 FAX: (202) 612-6744 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and New York telephone: (202) 612-6700

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Eric S. EDELMAN embassy: 110 Ataturk Boulevard, Kavaklidere, 06100 Ankara mailing address: PSC 93, Box 5000, APO AE 09823 telephone: (312) 455-5555 FAX: (312) 467-0019 consulate(s) general: Istanbul consulate(s): Adana; note - there is a Consular Agent in Izmir

Flag description:
red with a vertical white crescent (the closed portion is toward
the hoist side) and white five-pointed star centered just outside
the crescent opening

Economy Turkey

Economy - overview:
Turkey's dynamic economy is a complex mix of modern industry and
commerce along with a traditional agriculture sector that in 2001
still accounted for 40% of employment. It has a strong and rapidly
growing private sector, yet the state still plays a major role in
basic industry, banking, transport, and communication. The largest
industrial sector is textiles and clothing, which accounts for
one-third of industrial employment; it faces stiff competition in
international markets with the end of the global quota system.
However, other sectors, notably the automotive and electonics
industries, are rising in importance within Turkey's export mix. In
recent years the economic situation has been marked by erratic
economic growth and serious imbalances. Real GNP growth has exceeded
6% in many years, but this strong expansion has been interrupted by
sharp declines in output in 1994, 1999, and 2001. Meanwhile, the
public sector fiscal deficit has regularly exceeded 10% of GDP - due
in large part to the huge burden of interest payments, which
accounted for more than 40% of central government spending in 2003.
Inflation, in recent years in the high double-digit range, fell to
11.3% in 2004. Perhaps because of these problems, foreign direct
investment in Turkey remains low - less than $1 billion annually.
Results in 2002-04 improved, because of strong financial support
from the IMF and tighter fiscal policy. A major political and
economic issue over the next decade is whether or not Turkey will
become a member of the EU.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $458.2 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
5.8% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $6,700 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 11.7% industry: 29.8% services: 58.5% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
15.5% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line:
18% (2001)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.3% highest 10%: 32.3% (1994)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
44 (2002)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
25.3% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
23.79 million
note: about 1.2 million Turks work abroad (2003)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 39.7%, industry 22.4%, services 37.9% (3rd quarter,
2001)

Unemployment rate:
10.5% (plus underemployment of 6.1%) (2003 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $66.79 billion
expenditures: $93.31 billion, including capital expenditures of NA
(2003)

Public debt:
78.7% of GDP (2003)

Agriculture - products:
tobacco, cotton, grain, olives, sugar beets, pulse, citrus;
livestock

Industries:
textiles, food processing, autos, mining (coal, chromite, copper,
boron), steel, petroleum, construction, lumber, paper

Industrial production growth rate:
8.5% (2003 est.)

Electricity - production:
116.6 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
112.6 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
433 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
4.579 billion kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
48,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
619,500 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
46,110 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
616,500 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
288.4 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production:
312 million cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
15.94 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
15.75 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
8.685 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

Current account balance:
$-6.806 billion (2003)

Exports:
$49.12 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities:
apparel, foodstuffs, textiles, metal manufactures, transport
equipment

Exports - partners:
Germany 15.8%, US 8%, UK 7.8%, Italy 6.8%, France 6% (2003)

Imports:
$62.43 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery, chemicals, semi-finished goods, fuels, transport
equipment

Imports - partners:
Germany 13.6%, Italy 7.9%, Russia 7.8%, France 6%, UK 5%, US 5%,
Switzerland 4.3% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$35.55 billion (2003)

Debt - external:
$147.3 billion (2003)

Economic aid - recipient:
ODA, $300 million (2000)

Currency:
Turkish lira (TRL)

Currency code:
TRL

Exchange rates:
Turkish liras per US dollar - NA (2003), 1,507,230 (2002),
1,225,590 (2001), 625,218 (2000), 418,783 (1999), 151,865 (1997)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Turkey

Telephones - main lines in use:
18,916,700 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
27,887,500 (2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: undergoing rapid modernization and expansion,
especially with cellular telephones
domestic: additional digital exchanges are permitting a rapid
increase in subscribers; the construction of a network of
technologically advanced intercity trunk lines, using both
fiber-optic cable and digital microwave radio relay is facilitating
communication between urban centers; remote areas are reached by a
domestic satellite system; the number of subscribers to mobile
cellular telephone service is growing rapidly
international: country code - 90; international service is provided
by three submarine fiber-optic cables in the Mediterranean and Black
Seas, linking Turkey with Italy, Greece, Israel, Bulgaria, Romania,
and Russia; also by 12 Intelsat earth stations, and by 328 mobile
satellite terminals in the Inmarsat and Eutelsat systems (2002)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 16, FM 107, shortwave 6 (2001)

Radios:
11.3 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
635 (plus 2,934 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions:
20.9 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.tr

Internet hosts:
355,215 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
50 (2001)

Internet users:
5.5 million (2003)

Transportation Turkey

Railways: total: 8,671 km standard gauge: 8,671 km 1.435-m gauge (2,122 km electrified) (2003)

Highways:
total: 385,960 km
paved: 131,226 km (including 1,749 km of expressways)
unpaved: 254,734 km (1999)

Waterways:
1,200 km (2003)

Pipelines:
gas 3,177 km; oil 3,562 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Gemlik, Hopa, Iskenderun, Istanbul, Izmir, Kocaeli (Izmit), Icel
(Mersin), Samsun, Trabzon

Merchant marine:
total: 508 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,666,895 GRT/7,311,504 DWT
by type: bulk 111, cargo 229, chemical tanker 46, combination bulk
1, combination ore/oil 2, container 34, liquefied gas 6, passenger
1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 36, refrigerated cargo 4,
roll on/roll off 26, short-sea/passenger 8, specialized tanker 3
foreign-owned: Belize 1, Cambodia 1, China 1, Cyprus 4, Greece 1,
Italy 3, Liberia 1, Monaco 1, Switzerland 1, Thailand 1, United
Kingdom 9
registered in other countries: 243 (2004 est.)

Airports:
120 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 87
over 3,047 m: 16
2,438 to 3,047 m: 30
914 to 1,523 m: 17
under 914 m: 4 (2004 est.)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 20

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 32
under 914 m: 20 (2004 est.)
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 8
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2

Heliports:
14 (2003 est.)

Military Turkey

Military branches:
Turkish Armed Forces (TSK): Land Forces, Naval Forces Command
(includes Naval Air and Naval Infantry), Air Force, Coast Guard
Command, Gendarmerie (Jandarma)

Military manpower - military age and obligation:
20 years of age (2004 est.)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 19,828,702 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 11,965,262 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 680,673 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$12.155 billion (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
5.3% (2003)

Transnational Issues Turkey

Disputes - international:
complex maritime, air, and territorial disputes with Greece in the
Aegean Sea; Cyprus question remains with Greece; Syria and Iraq
protest Turkish hydrological projects to control upper Euphrates
waters; Turkey has expressed concern over the status of Kurds in
Iraq; border with Armenia remains closed over Nagorno-Karabakh

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 350,000-1,000,000 (fighting from 1984-1999 between Kurdish
PKK and Turkish military; most IDPs in southeastern provinces) (2004)

Illicit drugs:
key transit route for Southwest Asian heroin to Western Europe and
- to a far lesser extent the US - via air, land, and sea routes;
major Turkish, Iranian, and other international trafficking
organizations operate out of Istanbul; laboratories to convert
imported morphine base into heroin are in remote regions of Turkey
as well as near Istanbul; government maintains strict controls over
areas of legal opium poppy cultivation and output of poppy straw
concentrate

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

@Turkmenistan

Introduction Turkmenistan

Background:
Annexed by Russia between 1865 and 1885, Turkmenistan became a
Soviet republic in 1924. It achieved its independence upon the
dissolution of the USSR in 1991. President NIYAZOV retains absolute
control over the country and opposition is not tolerated. Extensive
hydrocarbon/natural gas reserves could prove a boon to this
underdeveloped country if extraction and delivery projects were to
be expanded. The Turkmenistan Government is actively seeking to
develop alternative petroleum transportation routes in order to
break Russia's pipeline monopoly.

Geography Turkmenistan

Location:
Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan

Geographic coordinates:
40 00 N, 60 00 E

Map references:
Asia

Area:
total: 488,100 sq km
water: negl.
land: 488,100 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than California

Land boundaries:
total: 3,736 km
border countries: Afghanistan 744 km, Iran 992 km, Kazakhstan 379
km, Uzbekistan 1,621 km

Coastline:
0 km; note - Turkmenistan borders the Caspian Sea (1,768 km)

Climate:
subtropical desert

Terrain:
flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes rising to mountains in the
south; low mountains along border with Iran; borders Caspian Sea in
west

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Vpadina Akchanaya -81 m; note - Sarygamysh Koli is a
lake in northern Turkmenistan with a water level that fluctuates
above and below the elevation of Vpadina Akchanaya (the lake has
dropped as low as -110 m)
highest point: Gora Ayribaba 3,139 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, sulfur, salt

Land use: arable land: 3.72% permanent crops: 0.14% other: 96.14% (2001)

Irrigated land:
17,500 sq km (2003 est.)

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
contamination of soil and groundwater with agricultural chemicals,
pesticides; salination, water-logging of soil due to poor irrigation
methods; Caspian Sea pollution; diversion of a large share of the
flow of the Amu Darya into irrigation contributes to that river's
inability to replenish the Aral Sea; desertification

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
landlocked; the western and central low-lying, desolate portions of
the country make up the great Garagum (Kara-Kum) desert, which
occupies over 80% of the country; eastern part is plateau

People Turkmenistan

Population:
4,863,169 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 36.2% (male 904,627; female 857,601)
15-64 years: 59.7% (male 1,423,836; female 1,477,224)
65 years and over: 4.1% (male 76,670; female 123,211) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 21.3 years
male: 20.4 years
female: 22.2 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.81% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
27.82 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
8.82 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
-0.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 73.13 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 69.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 76.9 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 61.29 years
male: 57.87 years
female: 64.88 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
3.45 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
less than 200 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 100 (2004 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Turkmen(s)
adjective: Turkmen

Ethnic groups:
Turkmen 85%, Uzbek 5%, Russian 4%, other 6% (2003)

Religions:
Muslim 89%, Eastern Orthodox 9%, unknown 2%

Languages:
Turkmen 72%, Russian 12%, Uzbek 9%, other 7%

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98%
male: 99%
female: 97% (1989 est.)

Government Turkmenistan

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Turkmenistan
local long form: none
former: Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic
local short form: Turkmenistan

Government type:
republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little power
outside the executive branch

Capital:
Ashgabat

Administrative divisions:
5 provinces (welayatlar, singular - welayat): Ahal Welayaty
(Ashgabat), Balkan Welayaty (Balkanabat), Dashoguz Welayaty, Lebap
Welayaty (Turkmenabat), Mary Welayaty
note: administrative divisions have the same names as their
administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center
name following in parentheses)

Independence:
27 October 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 27 October (1991)

Constitution:
adopted 18 May 1992

Legal system:
based on civil law system

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President and Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers
Saparmurat NIYAZOV (since 27 October 1990, when the first direct
presidential election occurred); note - the president is both the
chief of state and head of government
head of government: President and Chairman of the Cabinet of
Ministers Saparmurat NIYAZOV (since 27 October 1990, when the first
direct presidential election occurred); note - the president is both
the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 21 June 1992 (next to be held in 2008 when
NIYAZOV turns 70 and is constitutionally ineligible to run); note -
President NIYAZOV was unanimously approved as president for life by
the People's Council on 28 December 1999; deputy chairmen of the
cabinet of ministers are appointed by the president
election results: Saparmurat NIYAZOV elected president without
opposition; percent of vote - Saparmurat NIYAZOV 99.5%
note: NIYAZOV's term in office was extended indefinitely on 28
December 1999 during a session of the People's Council (Halk
Maslahaty)

Legislative branch:
under the 1992 constitution, there are two parliamentary bodies, a
unicameral People's Council or Halk Maslahaty (supreme legislative
body of up to 2,500 delegates, some of which are elected by popular
vote and some of which are appointed; meets at least yearly) and a
unicameral Parliament or Mejlis (50 seats; members are elected by
popular vote to serve five-year terms)
election results: Mejlis - DPT 100%; seats by party - DPT 50; note -
all 50 elected officials are members of the Democratic Party of
Turkmenistan and are preapproved by President NIYAZOV
note: in late 2003, a new law was adopted, reducing the powers of
the Mejlis and making the Halk Maslahaty the supreme legislative
organ; the Halk Maslahaty can now legally dissolve the Mejlis, and
the president is now able to participate in the Mejlis as its
supreme leader; the Mejlis can no longer adopt or amend the
constitution, or announce referendums or its elections; since the
president is both the "Chairman for Life" of the Halk Maslahaty and
the supreme leader of the Mejlis, the 2003 law has the effect of
making him the sole authority of both the executive and legislative
branches of government
elections: People's Council - last held in April 2003; Mejlis - last
held 19 December 2004 (next to be held December 2009)

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

Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party of Turkmenistan or DPT [Saparmurat NIYAZOV]
note: formal opposition parties are outlawed; unofficial, small
opposition movements exist underground or in foreign countries; the
two most prominent opposition groups-in-exile have been Gundogar and
Erkin; Gundogar was led by former Foreign Minister Boris
SHIKHMURADOV until his arrest and imprisonment in the wake of the 25
November 2002 assassination attempt on President NIYAZOV; Erkin is
led by former Foreign Minister Abdy KULIEV and is based out of
Moscow; the Union of Democratic Forces, a coalition of
opposition-in-exile groups, is based in Europe

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
AsDB, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU,
MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Mered Bairamovich ORAZOV
FAX: (202) 588-0697
telephone: (202) 588-1500
chancery: 2207 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Tracey A. JACOBSON
embassy: 9 Pushkin (1984) Street, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan 774000
mailing address: 7070 Ashgabat Place, Washington, D.C. 20521-7070
telephone: (9312) 35-00-45
FAX: (9312) 39-26-14

Flag description:
green field with a vertical red stripe near the hoist side,
containing five carpet guls (designs used in producing rugs) stacked
above two crossed olive branches similar to the olive branches on
the UN flag; a white crescent moon and five white stars appear in
the upper corner of the field just to the fly side of the red stripe

Economy Turkmenistan

Economy - overview:
Turkmenistan is largely desert country with intensive agriculture
in irrigated oases and large gas and oil resources. One-half of its
irrigated land is planted in cotton, making it at one time the
world's tenth-largest producer. Poor harvests in recent years have
led to a nearly 46% decline in cotton exports. With an authoritarian
ex-Communist regime in power and a tribally based social structure,
Turkmenistan has taken a cautious approach to economic reform,
hoping to use gas and cotton sales to sustain its inefficient
economy. Privatization goals remain limited. In 1998-2003,
Turkmenistan suffered from the continued lack of adequate export
routes for natural gas and from obligations on extensive short-term
external debt. At the same time, however, total exports rose by 38%
in 2003, largely because of higher international oil and gas prices.
Overall prospects in the near future are discouraging because of
widespread internal poverty, the burden of foreign debt, and the
unwillingness of the government to adopt market-oriented reforms.
However, Turkmenistan's cooperation with the international community
in transporting humanitarian aid to Afghanistan may foreshadow a
change in the atmosphere for foreign investment, aid, and
technological support. Turkmenistan's economic statistics are state
secrets, and GDP and other figures are subject to wide margins of
error. In particular, the 20% rate of GDP growth is a guess.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $27.88 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
23.1% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $5,800 (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 24.8% industry: 46.2% services: 28.9% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
19.5% of GDP (2003)

Population below poverty line:
34.4% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.6% highest 10%: 31.7% (1998)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
40.8 (1998)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
9.5% (2003 est.)

Labor force:
2.34 million (1996)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture 48%, industry 15%, services 37% (1998 est.)

Unemployment rate:
NA

Budget:
revenues: $3.477 billion
expenditures: $3.908 billion, including capital expenditures of NA
(2003 est.)

Agriculture - products:
cotton, grain; livestock

Industries:
natural gas, oil, petroleum products, textiles, food processing

Industrial production growth rate:
14% (2003 est.)

Electricity - production:
10.18 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
8.509 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
980 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
20 million kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
162,500 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
63,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
273 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production:
48.2 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
9.6 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
38.6 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
1.43 trillion cu m (1 January 2002)

Current account balance:
$957 million (2003)

Exports:
$3.355 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities:
gas 57%, oil 26%, cotton fiber 3%, textiles 2% (2001)

Exports - partners:
Ukraine 39.2%, Italy 18.1%, Iran 14.7%, Turkey 6.5% (2003)

Imports:
$2.472 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment 60%, foodstuffs 15% (1999)

Imports - partners:
Russia 21.5%, Ukraine 15.3%, Turkey 9.4%, UAE 7.6%, Germany 4.2%,
China 4.2% (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
$2.696 billion (2003)

Debt - external:
$2.4 billion to $5 billion (2001 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$16 million from the US (2001)

Currency:
Turkmen manat (TMM)

Currency code:
TMM

Exchange rates:
Turkmen manats per US dollar - 5,200 (2003), 5,200 (2002), 5,200
(2001), 5,200 (2000), 5,200 (1999);note - the official exchange rate
has not varied for the last six years; the unofficial rate has
fluctuated slightly, hovering around 21,000 manats to the dollar

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Turkmenistan

Telephones - main lines in use:
374,000 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
52,000 (2004)

Telephone system:
general assessment: poorly developed
domestic: NA
international: country code - 993; linked by cable and microwave
radio relay to other CIS republics and to other countries by leased
connections to the Moscow international gateway switch; a new
telephone link from Ashgabat to Iran has been established; a new
exchange in Ashgabat switches international traffic through Turkey
via Intelsat; satellite earth stations - 1 Orbita and 1 Intelsat

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 16, FM 8, shortwave 2 (1998)

Radios:
1.225 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
4 (government owned and programmed) (2004)

Televisions:
820,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.tm

Internet hosts:
524 (2004)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1

Internet users:
8,000 (2002)

Transportation Turkmenistan

Railways: total: 2,440 km broad gauge: 2,440 km 1.520-m gauge (2003)

Highways: total: 24,000 km paved: 19,488 km unpaved: 4,512 km (1999 est.)

Waterways:
1,300 km (Amu Darya and Kara Kum canal important inland waterways)
(2003)

Pipelines:
gas 6,549 km; oil 1,395 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Turkmenbasy

Merchant marine:
total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 6,873 GRT/8,345 DWT
by type: combination ore/oil 1, petroleum tanker 1
registered in other countries: 2 (2004 est.)

Airports:
69 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 24 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 12 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 1 (2003 est.) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 45
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 36 (2003 est.)
914 to 1,523 m: 7

Heliports:
1 (2003 est.)

Military Turkmenistan

Military branches:
Ministry of Defense (Army, Air and Air Defense, Navy, Border
Troops, and Internal Troops), National Guard

Military manpower - military age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service
obligation - 2 years (2004)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 1,272,436 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 1,031,806 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 55,866 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$90 million (FY99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
3.4% (FY99)

Transnational Issues Turkmenistan

Disputes - international:
prolonged regional drought created water-sharing difficulties for
Amu Darya river states; Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan reached an
agreement on improving water usage along the Amu Darya in 2004;
delimitation of Caspian seabed remains unresolved

Illicit drugs:
transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and Western
European markets; transit point for heroin precursor chemicals bound
for Afghanistan

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

@Turks and Caicos Islands

Introduction Turks and Caicos Islands

Background:
The islands were part of the UK's Jamaican colony until 1962, when
they assumed the status of a separate crown colony upon Jamaica's
independence. The governor of The Bahamas oversaw affairs from 1965
to 1973. With Bahamian independence, the islands received a separate
governor in 1973. Although independence was agreed upon for 1982,
the policy was reversed and the islands remain a British overseas
territory.

Geography Turks and Caicos Islands

Location:
Caribbean, two island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast
of The Bahamas, north of Haiti

Geographic coordinates:
21 45 N, 71 35 W

Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 430 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 430 sq km

Area - comparative:
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
389 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Climate:
tropical; marine; moderated by trade winds; sunny and relatively dry

Terrain:
low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Blue Hills 49 m

Natural resources: spiny lobster, conch

Land use: arable land: 2.33% permanent crops: 0% other: 97.67% (2001)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
frequent hurricanes

Environment - current issues: limited natural fresh water resources, private cisterns collect rainwater

Geography - note: about 40 islands (eight inhabited)

People Turks and Caicos Islands

Population:
19,956 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 32.5% (male 3,301; female 3,184)
15-64 years: 63.8% (male 6,696; female 6,036)
65 years and over: 3.7% (male 327; female 412) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 27.2 years
male: 27.9 years
female: 26.5 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
3.03% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
22.85 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
4.26 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
11.68 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.11 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 16.27 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 13.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 18.79 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.25 years
male: 72.05 years
female: 76.57 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
3.11 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality: noun: none adjective: none

Ethnic groups:
black 90%, mixed, European, or North American 10%

Religions:
Baptist 40%, Methodist 16%, Anglican 18%, Church of God 12%, other
14% (1990)

Languages:
English (official)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
female: 98% (1970 est.)
male: 99%
total population: 98%

People - note:
destination and transit point for illegal Haitian immigrants bound
for the Turks and Caicos Islands, Bahamas, and US

Government Turks and Caicos Islands

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Turks and Caicos Islands

Dependency status:
overseas territory of the UK

Government type:
NA

Capital:
Grand Turk (Cockburn Town)

Administrative divisions:
none (overseas territory of the UK)

Independence:
none (overseas territory of the UK)

National holiday:
Constitution Day, 30 August (1976)

Constitution:
introduced 30 August 1976; suspended in 1986; restored and revised
5 March 1988

Legal system:
based on laws of England and Wales, with a few adopted from Jamaica
and The Bahamas

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1953),
represented by Governor Jim POSTON (since 16 December 2002)
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by
the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the
majority party is appointed chief minister by the governor
head of government: Chief Minister Michael Eugene MISICK (since 15
August 2003)
cabinet: Executive Council consists of three ex officio members and
five appointed by the governor from among the members of the
Legislative Council

Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Council (19 seats of which 13 are popularly
elected; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 24 April 2003 (next to be held in 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - PDM 53.8%, PNP 46.2%;
seats by party - PDM 7, PNP 6; note - in by-elections held 7 August
2003, the PNP gained two seats for a majority of 8 seats; PDM now
has 5

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders:
People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Derek H. TAYLOR]; Progressive
National Party or PNP [Michael Eugene MISICK]; United Democratic
Party or UDP [Wendal SWANN]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), UPU

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK)

Flag description:
blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and
the colonial shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the
shield is yellow and contains a conch shell, lobster, and cactus

Economy Turks and Caicos Islands

Economy - overview:
The Turks and Caicos economy is based on tourism, fishing, and
offshore financial services. Most capital goods and food for
domestic consumption are imported. The US is the leading source of
tourists, accounting for more than half of the 93,000 visitors in
the late 1990s. Major sources of government revenue include fees
from offshore financial activities and customs receipts. Tourism
fell by 6% in 2002.

GDP:
purchasing power parity - $231 million (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
4.9% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $9,600 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA
industry: NA
services: NA (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4% (1995)

Labor force:
4,848 (1990 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: about 33% in government and 20% in agriculture and fishing; significant numbers in tourism, financial, and other services

Unemployment rate:
10% (1997 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $47 million
expenditures: $33.6 million, including capital expenditures of NA
(1997-98 est.)

Agriculture - products:
corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), citrus fruits; fish

Industries:
tourism, offshore financial services

Industrial production growth rate:
NA

Electricity - production:
5 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
4.65 million kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2001)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day NA (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption:
0 bbl/day NA bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA (2001)

Oil - imports:
NA (2001)

Exports:
$169.2 million (2000)

Exports - commodities:
lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells

Exports - partners:
US, UK

Imports:
$175.6 million (2000)

Imports - commodities:
food and beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufactures, construction
materials

Imports - partners:
US, UK

Debt - external:
NA (2002 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$4.1 million (1997)

Currency:
US dollar (USD)

Currency code:
USD

Exchange rates:
the US dollar is used

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Turks and Caicos Islands

Telephones - main lines in use:
5,700 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
1,700 (1999)

Telephone system:
general assessment: fair cable and radiotelephone services
domestic: NA
international: country code - 1-649; 2 submarine cables; satellite
earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 7, shortwave 0 (2004)

Radios:
8,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
0 (broadcasts from The Bahamas are received; 2 cable television
networks) (2004)

Televisions:
NA

Internet country code:
.tc

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
14 (2000)

Internet users:
NA

Transportation Turks and Caicos Islands

Highways: total: 121 km paved: 24 km unpaved: 97 km (2000)

Ports and harbors:
Grand Turk, Providenciales

Merchant marine:
none

Airports:
8 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)

Military Turks and Caicos Islands

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the UK

Transnational Issues Turks and Caicos Islands

Disputes - international:
have received Haitians fleeing economic collapse and civil unrest

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the
US and Europe

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

@Tuvalu

Introduction Tuvalu

Background:
In 1974, ethnic differences within the British colony of the
Gilbert and Ellice Islands caused the Polynesians of the Ellice
Islands to vote for separation from the Micronesians of the Gilbert
Islands. The following year, the Ellice Islands became the separate
British colony of Tuvalu. Independence was granted in 1978. In 2000,
Tuvalu negotiated a contract leasing its Internet domain name ".tv"
for $50 million in royalties over the next dozen years.

Geography Tuvalu

Location:
Oceania, island group consisting of nine coral atolls in the South
Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia

Geographic coordinates:
8 00 S, 178 00 E

Map references:
Oceania

Area:
total: 26 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 26 sq km

Area - comparative:
0.1 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
24 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm

Climate:
tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November);
westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)

Terrain:
very low-lying and narrow coral atolls

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 5 m

Natural resources: fish

Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
severe tropical storms are usually rare, but, in 1997, there were
three cyclones; low level of islands make them very sensitive to
changes in sea level

Environment - current issues:
since there are no streams or rivers and groundwater is not
potable, most water needs must be met by catchment systems with
storage facilities (the Japanese Government has built one
desalination plant and plans to build one other); beachhead erosion
because of the use of sand for building materials; excessive
clearance of forest undergrowth for use as fuel; damage to coral
reefs from the spread of the Crown of Thorns starfish; Tuvalu is
very concerned about global increases in greenhouse gas emissions
and their effect on rising sea levels, which threaten the country's
underground water table; in 2000, the government appealed to
Australia and New Zealand to take in Tuvaluans if rising sea levels
should make evacuation necessary

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
one of the smallest and most remote countries on Earth; six of the
coral atolls - Nanumea, Nui, Vaitupu, Nukufetau, Funafuti, and
Nukulaelae - have lagoons open to the ocean; Nanumaya and Niutao
have landlocked lagoons; Niulakita does not have a lagoon

People Tuvalu

Population:
11,468 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 31.3% (male 1,828; female 1,761)
15-64 years: 63.7% (male 3,530; female 3,770)
65 years and over: 5% (male 227; female 352) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 24.2 years
male: 23.1 years
female: 25.6 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.44% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
21.63 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
7.24 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 20.69 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 17.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 23.63 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 67.66 years
male: 65.47 years
female: 69.96 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
3.02 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Tuvaluan(s)
adjective: Tuvaluan

Ethnic groups:
Polynesian 96%, Micronesian 4%

Religions:
Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-Day Adventist
1.4%, Baha'i 1%, other 0.6%

Languages:
Tuvaluan, English, Samoan, Kiribati (on the island of Nui)

Literacy: definition: NA total population: NA male: NA female: NA

Government Tuvalu

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Tuvalu
note: "Tuvalu" means "group of eight," referring to the country's
eight traditionally inhabited islands
former: Ellice Islands

Government type:
constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy; began
debating republic status in 1992

Capital:
Funafuti; note - administrative offices are located in Vaiaku
Village on Fongafale Islet

Administrative divisions:
none

Independence:
1 October 1978 (from UK)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 1 October (1978)

Constitution:
1 October 1978

Legal system:
NA

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Governor General Faimalaga LUKA (since 9 September
2003)
elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by
the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; prime
minister and deputy prime minister elected by and from the members
of Parliament; election last held 11 October 2004 (next to be held
following parliamentary elections in 2006)
election results: Saufatu SOPOANGA resigned parliamentary seat on 27
August 2004 following no-confidence vote on 25 August 2004;
succeeded by Deputy Prime Minister Maatia TOAFA in an acting
capacity on 27 August 2004; Maatia TOAFA confirmed Prime Minister in
a Parliamentary election (8-7 vote) on 11 Ocotober 2004
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the
recommendation of the prime minister
head of government: Prime Minister Maatia TOAFA (since 11 October
2004)