Gwp (part 1)

This entry gives the gross world product (GWP) or aggregate value of all final goods and services produced worldwide in a given year.

Geographic coordinates

This entry includes rounded latitude and longitude figures for the purpose of finding the approximate geographic center of an entity and is based on the Gazetteer of Conventional Names, Third Edition, August 1988, US Board on Geographic Names and on other sources.

Geographic names

This information is presented in Appendix F: Cross-Reference List of Geographic Names. It includes a listing of various alternate names, former names, local names, and regional names referenced to one or more related Factbook entries. Spellings are normally, but not always, those approved by the US Board on Geographic Names (BGN). Alternate names and additional information are included in parentheses.

Geography

This category includes the entries dealing with the natural environment and the effects of human activity.

Geography - note

This entry includes miscellaneous geographic information of significance not included elsewhere.

Gini index

See entry for Distribution of family income - Gini index

Government

This category includes the entries dealing with the system for the adoption and administration of public policy.

Government - note

This entry includes miscellaneous government information of significance not included elsewhere.

Government type

This entry gives the basic form of government. Definitions of the major governmental terms are as follows:

Anarchy - a condition of lawlessness or political disorder brought about by the absence of governmental authority.

Commonwealth - a nation, state, or other political entity founded on law and united by a compact of the people for the common good.

Communism - a system of government in which the state plans and controls the economy and a single - often authoritarian - party holds power; state controls are imposed with the elimination of private ownership of property or capital while claiming to make progress toward a higher social order in which all goods are equally shared by the people (i.e., a classless society).

Confederacy (Confederation) - a union by compact or treaty between states, provinces, or territories, that creates a central government with limited powers; the constituent entities retain supreme authority over all matters except those delegated to the central government.

Constitutional - a government by or operating under an authoritative document (constitution) that sets forth the system of fundamental laws and principles that determines the nature, functions, and limits of that government.

Constitutional democracy - a form of government in which the sovereign power of the people is spelled out in a governing constitution.

Constitutional monarchy - a system of government in which a monarch is guided by a constitution whereby his/her rights, duties, and responsibilities are spelled out in written law or by custom.

Democracy - a form of government in which the supreme power is retained by the people, but which is usually exercised indirectly through a system of representation and delegated authority periodically renewed.

Democratic republic - a state in which the supreme power rests in the body of citizens entitled to vote for officers and representatives responsible to them.

Dictatorship - a form of government in which a ruler or small clique wield absolute power (not restricted by a constitution or laws).

Ecclesiastical - a government administrated by a church.

Emirate - similar to a monarchy or sultanate, but a government in which the supreme power is in the hands of an emir (the ruler of a Muslim state); the emir may be an absolute overlord or a sovereign with constitutionally limited authority.

Federal (Federative) - a form of government in which sovereign power is formally divided - usually by means of a constitution - between a central authority and a number of constituent regions (states, colonies, or provinces) so that each region retains some management of its internal affairs; differs from a confederacy in that the central government exerts influence directly upon both individuals as well as upon the regional units.

Federal republic - a state in which the powers of the central government are restricted and in which the component parts (states, colonies, or provinces) retain a degree of self-government; ultimate sovereign power rests with the voters who chose their governmental representatives.

Islamic republic - a particular form of government adoped by some Muslim states; although such a state is, in theory, a theocracy, it remains a republic, but its laws are required to be compatible with the laws of Islam.

Maoism - the theory and practice of Marxism-Leninism developed in China by Mao Zedong (Mao Tse-tung), which states that a continuous revolution is necessary if the leaders of a communist state are to keep in touch with the people.

Marxism - the political, economic, and social principles espoused by 19th century economist Karl Marx; he viewed the struggle of workers as a progression of historical forces that would proceed from a class struggle of the proletariat (workers) exploited by capitalists (business owners), to a socialist "dictatorship of the proletariat," to, finally, a classless society - Communism.

Marxism-Leninism - an expanded form of communism developed by Lenin from doctrines of Karl Marx; Lenin saw imperialism as the final stage of capitalism and shifted the focus of workers' struggle from developed to underdeveloped countries.

Monarchy - a government in which the supreme power is lodged in the hands of a monarch who reigns over a state or territory, usually for life and by hereditary right; the monarch may be either a sole absolute ruler or a sovereign - such as a king, queen, or prince - with constitutionally limited authority.

Oligarchy - a government in which control is exercised by a small group of individuals whose authority generally is based on wealth or power.

Parliamentary democracy - a political system in which the legislature (parliament) selects the government - a prime minister, premier, or chancellor along with the cabinet ministers - according to party strength as expressed in elections; by this system, the government acquires a dual responsibility: to the people as well as to the parliament.

Parliamentary government (Cabinet-Parliamentary government) - a government in which members of an executive branch (the cabinet and its leader - a prime minister, premier, or chancellor) are nominated to their positions by a legislature or parliament, and are directly responsible to it; this type of government can be dissolved at will by the parliament (legislature) by means of a no confidence vote or the leader of the cabinet may dissolve the parliament if it can no longer function.

Parliamentary monarchy - a state headed by a monarch who is not actively involved in policy formation or implementation (i.e., the exercise of sovereign powers by a monarch in a ceremonial capacity); true governmental leadership is carried out by a cabinet and its head - a prime minister, premier, or chancellor - who are drawn from a legislature (parliament).

Republic - a representative democracy in which the people's elected deputies (representatives), not the people themselves, vote on legislation.

Socialism - a government in which the means of planning, producing, and distributing goods is controlled by a central government that theoretically seeks a more just and equitable distribution of property and labor; in actuality, most socialist governments have ended up being no more than dictatorships over workers by a ruling elite.

Sultanate - similar to a monarchy, but a government in which the supreme power is in the hands of a sultan (the head of a Muslim state); the sultan may be an absolute ruler or a sovereign with constitutionally limited authority.

Theocracy - a form of government in which a Deity is recognized as the supreme civil ruler, but the Deity's laws are interpreted by ecclesiastical authorities (bishops, mullahs, etc.); a government subject to religious authority.

Totalitarian - a government that seeks to subordinate the individual to the state by controlling not only all political and economic matters, but also the attitudes, values, and beliefs of its population.

Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)

The mean solar time at the Greenwich Meridian, Greenwich, England, with the hours and days, since 1925, reckoned from midnight. GMT is now a historical term having been replaced by UTC on 1 January 1972. See Coordinated Universal Time.

Gross domestic product

see GDP

Gross national product

see GNP

Gross world product

see GWP

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

This entry gives an estimate of the percentage of adults (aged 15-49) living with HIV/AIDS. The adult prevalence rate is calculated by dividing the estimated number of adults living with HIV/AIDS at yearend by the total adult population at yearend.

HIV/AIDS - deaths

This entry gives an estimate of the number of adults and children who died of AIDS during a given calendar year.

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

This entry gives an estimate of all people (adults and children) alive at yearend with HIV infection, whether or not they have developed symptoms of AIDS.

Heliports

This entry gives the total number of heliports with hard-surface runways, helipads, or landing areas that support routine sustained helicopter operations exclusively and have support facilities including one or more of the following facilities: lighting, fuel, passenger handling, or maintenance. It includes former airports used exclusively for helicopter operations but excludes heliports limited to day operations and natural clearings that could support helicopter landings and takeoffs.

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Data on household income or consumption come from household surveys, the results adjusted for household size. Nations use different standards and procedures in collecting and adjusting the data. Surveys based on income will normally show a more unequal distribution than surveys based on consumption. The quality of surveys is improving with time, yet caution is still necessary in making inter-country comparisons.

Hydrographic data codes

see Data codes

Illicit drugs

This entry gives information on the five categories of illicit drugs - narcotics, stimulants, depressants (sedatives), hallucinogens, and cannabis. These categories include many drugs legally produced and prescribed by doctors as well as those illegally produced and sold outside of medical channels.

Cannabis (Cannabis sativa) is the common hemp plant, which provides hallucinogens with some sedative properties, and includes marijuana (pot, Acapulco gold, grass, reefer), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, Marinol), hashish (hash), and hashish oil (hash oil).

Coca (mostly Erythroxylum coca) is a bush with leaves that contain the stimulant used to make cocaine. Coca is not to be confused with cocoa, which comes from cacao seeds and is used in making chocolate, cocoa, and cocoa butter.

Cocaine is a stimulant derived from the leaves of the coca bush.

Depressants (sedatives) are drugs that reduce tension and anxiety and include chloral hydrate, barbiturates (Amytal, Nembutal, Seconal, phenobarbital), benzodiazepines (Librium, Valium), methaqualone (Quaalude), glutethimide (Doriden), and others (Equanil, Placidyl, Valmid).

Drugs are any chemical substances that effect a physical, mental, emotional, or behavioral change in an individual.

Drug abuse is the use of any licit or illicit chemical substance that results in physical, mental, emotional, or behavioral impairment in an individual.

Hallucinogens are drugs that affect sensation, thinking, self- awareness, and emotion. Hallucinogens include LSD (acid, microdot), mescaline and peyote (mexc, buttons, cactus), amphetamine variants (PMA, STP, DOB), phencyclidine (PCP, angel dust, hog), phencyclidine analogues (PCE, PCPy, TCP), and others (psilocybin, psilocyn).

Hashish is the resinous exudate of the cannabis or hemp plant (Cannabis sativa).

Heroin is a semisynthetic derivative of morphine.

Mandrax is a trade name for methaqualone, a pharmaceutical depressant.

Marijuana is the dried leaf of the cannabis or hemp plant (Cannabis sativa).

Methaqualone is a pharmaceutical depressant, referred to as mandrax in
Southwest Asia and Africa.

Narcotics are drugs that relieve pain, often induce sleep, and refer to opium, opium derivatives, and synthetic substitutes. Natural narcotics include opium (paregoric, parepectolin), morphine (MS-Contin, Roxanol), codeine (Tylenol with codeine, Empirin with codeine, Robitussan AC), and thebaine. Semisynthetic narcotics include heroin (horse, smack), and hydromorphone (Dilaudid). Synthetic narcotics include meperidine or Pethidine (Demerol, Mepergan), methadone (Dolophine, Methadose), and others (Darvon, Lomotil).

Opium is the brown, gummy exudate of the incised, unripe seedpod of the opium poppy.

Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) is the source for the natural and semisynthetic narcotics.

Poppy straw is the entire cut and dried opium poppy-plant material, other than the seeds. Opium is extracted from poppy straw in commercial operations that produce the drug for medical use.

Qat (kat, khat) is a stimulant from the buds or leaves of Catha edulis that is chewed or drunk as tea.

Quaaludes is the North American slang term for methaqualone, a pharmaceutical depressant.

Stimulants are drugs that relieve mild depression, increase energy and
activity, and include cocaine (coke, snow, crack), amphetamines
(Desoxyn, Dexedrine), ephedrine, ecstasy (clarity, essence, doctor,
Adam), phenmetrazine (Preludin), methylphenidate (Ritalin), and others
(Cylert, Sanorex, Tenuate).

Imports

This entry provides the total US dollar amount of merchandise imports on a c.i.f. (cost, insurance, and freight) or f.o.b. (free on board) basis. These figures are calculated on an exchange rate basis, i.e., not in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms.

Imports - commodities

This entry provides a rank ordering of imported products starting with the most important; it sometimes includes the percent of total dollar value.

Imports - partners

This entry provides a rank ordering of trading partners starting with the most important; it sometimes includes the percent of total dollar value.

Independence

For most countries, this entry gives the date that sovereignty was achieved and from which nation, empire, or trusteeship. For the other countries, the date given may not represent "independence" in the strict sense, but rather some significant nationhood event such as the traditional founding date or the date of unification, federation, confederation, establishment, fundamental change in the form of government, or state succession. Dependent areas include the notation "none" followed by the nature of their dependency status. Also see the Terminology note.

Industrial production growth rate

This entry gives the annual percentage increase in industrial production (includes manufacturing, mining, and construction).

Industries

This entry provides a rank ordering of industries starting with the largest by value of annual output.

Infant mortality rate

This entry gives the number of deaths of infants under one year old in a given year per 1,000 live births in the same year; included is the total death rate, and deaths by sex, male and female. This rate is often used as an indicator of the level of health in a country.

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

This entry furnishes the annual percent change in consumer prices compared with the previous year's consumer prices.

International disputes

see Disputes - international

International organization participation

This entry lists in alphabetical order by abbreviation those international organizations in which the subject country is a member or participates in some other way.

International organizations

This information is presented in Appendix B: International Organizations and Groups which includes the name, abbreviation, date established, aim, and members by category.

Internet country code

This entry includes the two-letter codes maintained by the
International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in the ISO 3166
Alpha-2 list and used by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA)
to establish country-coded top-level domains (ccTLDs).

Internet hosts

This entry lists the number of Internet hosts available within a country. An Internet host is a computer connected directly to the Internet; normally an Internet Service Provider's (ISP) computer is a host. Internet users may use either a hard-wired terminal, at an institution with a mainframe computer connected directly to the Internet, or may connect remotely by way of a modem via telephone line, cable, or satellite to the Internet Service Provider's host computer. The number of hosts is one indicator of the extent of Internet connectivity.

Internet users

This entry gives the number of users within a country that access the Internet. Statistics vary from country to country and may include users who access the Internet at least several times a week to those who access it only once within a period of several months.

Introduction

This category includes one entry, Background.

Investment (gross fixed)

This entry records total business spending on fixed assets, such as factories, machinery, equipment, dwellings, and inventories of raw materials, which provide the basis for future production. It is measured gross of the depreciation of the assets, i.e., it includes invesment that merely replaces worn-out or scrapped capital.

Irrigated land

This entry gives the number of square kilometers of land area that is artificially supplied with water.

Judicial branch

This entry contains the name(s) of the highest court(s) and a brief description of the selection process for members.

Labor force

This entry contains the total labor force figure.

Labor force - by occupation

This entry lists the percentage distribution of the labor force by occupation. The distribution will total less than 100 percent if the data are incomplete.

Land boundaries

This entry contains the total length of all land boundaries and the individual lengths for each of the contiguous border countries. When available, official lengths published by national statistical agencies are used. Because surveying methods may differ, country border lengths reported by contiguous countries may differ.

Land use

This entry contains the percentage shares of total land area for three different types of land use: arable land - land cultivated for crops like wheat, maize, and rice that are replanted after each harvest; permanent crops - land cultivated for crops like citrus, coffee, and rubber that are not replanted after each harvest; includes land under flowering shrubs, fruit trees, nut trees, and vines, but excludes land under trees grown for wood or timber; other - any land not arable or under permanent crops; includes permanent meadows and pastures, forests and woodlands, built-on areas, roads, barren land, etc.

Languages

This entry provides a rank ordering of languages starting with the largest and sometimes includes the percent of total population speaking that language.

Legal system

This entry contains a brief description of the legal system's historical roots, role in government, and acceptance of International Court of Justice (ICJ) jurisdiction.

Legislative branch

This entry contains information on the structure (unicameral, bicameral, tricameral), formal name, number of seats, and term of office. Elections includes the nature of election process or accession to power, date of the last election, and date of the next election. Election results includes the percent of vote and/or number of seats held by each party in the last election.

Life expectancy at birth

This entry contains the average number of years to be lived by a group of people born in the same year, if mortality at each age remains constant in the future. The entry includes total population as well as the male and female components. Life expectancy at birth is also a measure of overall quality of life in a country and summarizes the mortality at all ages. It can also be thought of as indicating the potential return on investment in human capital and is necessary for the calculation of various actuarial measures.

Literacy

This entry includes a definition of literacy and Census Bureau percentages for the total population, males, and females. There are no universal definitions and standards of literacy. Unless otherwise specified, all rates are based on the most common definition - the ability to read and write at a specified age. Detailing the standards that individual countries use to assess the ability to read and write is beyond the scope of the Factbook. Information on literacy, while not a perfect measure of educational results, is probably the most easily available and valid for international comparisons. Low levels of literacy, and education in general, can impede the economic development of a country in the current rapidly changing, technology-driven world.

Location

This entry identifies the country's regional location, neighboring countries, and adjacent bodies of water.

Major infectious diseases

This entry lists major infectious diseases likely to be encountered in countries where the risk of such diseases is assessed to be very high as compared to the United States. These infectious diseases represent risks to US government personnel traveling to the specified country for a period of less than three years. The degree of risk is assessed by considering the foreign nature of these infectious diseases, their severity, and the probability of being affected by the diseases present. The diseases listed do not necessarily represent the total disease burden experienced by the local population.

The risk to an individual traveler varies considerably by the specific location, visit duration, type of activities, type of accommodations, time of year, and other factors. Consultation with a travel medicine physician is needed to evaluate individual risk and recommend appropriate preventive measures such as vaccines.

Diseases are organized into the following six exposure categories shown in italics and listed in typical descending order of risk. Note - The sequence of exposure categories listed in individual country entries may vary according to local conditions.

food or waterborne diseases acquired through eating or drinking on the local economy:

Hepatitis A - viral disease that interferes with the functioning of the liver; spread through consumption of food or water contaminated with fecal matter, principally in areas of poor sanitation; victims exhibit fever, jaundice, and diarrhea; 15% of victims will experience prolonged symptoms over 6-9 months; vaccine available.

Hepatitis E - water-borne viral disease that interferes with the functioning of the liver; most commonly spread through fecal contamination of drinking water; victims exhibit jaundice, fatigue, abdominal pain, and dark colored urine.

Typhoid fever - bacterial disease spread through contact with food or water contaminated by fecal matter or sewage; victims exhibit sustained high fevers; left untreated, mortality rates can reach 20%.

vectorborne diseases acquired through the bite of an infected arthropod:

Malaria - caused by single-cell parasitic protozoa Plasmodium; transmitted to humans via the bite of the female Anopheles mosquito; parasites multiply in the liver attacking red blood cells resulting in cycles of fever, chills, and sweats accompanied by anemia; death due to damage to vital organs and interruption of blood supply to the brain; endemic in 100, mostly tropical, countries with 90% of cases and the majority of 1.5-2.5 million estimated annual deaths occurring in sub- Saharan Africa.

Dengue fever - mosquito-borne (Aedes aegypti) viral disease associated with urban environments; manifests as sudden onset of fever and severe headache; occasionally produces shock and hemorrhage leading to death in 5% of cases.

Yellow fever - mosquito-borne viral disease; severity ranges from influenza-like symptoms to severe hepatitis and hemorrhagic fever; occurs only in tropical South America and sub-Saharan Africa, where most cases are reported; fatality rate is less than 20%.

Japanese Encephalitis - mosquito-borne (Culex tritaeniorhynchus) viral disease associated with rural areas in Asia; acute encephalitis can progress to paralysis, coma, and death; fatality rates 30%.

African Trypanosomiasis - caused by the parasitic protozoa Trypanosoma; transmitted to humans via the bite of bloodsucking Tsetse flies; infection leads to malaise and irregular fevers and, in advanced cases when the parasites invade the central nervous system, coma and death; endemic in 36 countries of sub-Saharan Africa; cattle and wild animals act as reservoir hosts for the parasites.

Cutaneous Leishmaniasis - caused by the parasitic protozoa leishmania; transmitted to humans via the bite of sandflies; results in skin lesions that may become chronic; endemic in 88 countries; 90% of cases occur in Iran, Afghanistan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, and Peru; wild and domesticated animals as well as humans can act as reservoirs of infection.

Plague - bacterial disease transmitted by fleas normally associated with rats; person-to-person airborne transmission also possible; recent plague epidemics occurred in areas of Asia, Africa, and South America associated with rural areas or small towns and villages; manifests as fever, headache, and painfully swollen lymph nodes; disease progresses rapidly and without antibiotic treatment leads to pneumonic form with a death rate in excess of 50%.

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever - tick-borne viral disease; infection may also result from exposure to infected animal blood or tissue; geographic distribution includes Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe; sudden onset of fever, headache, and muscle aches followed by hemorrhaging in the bowels, urine, nose, and gums; mortality rate is approximately 30%.

Rift Valley fever - viral disease affecting domesticated animals and humans; transmission is by mosquito and other biting insects; infection may also occur through handling of infected meat or contact with blood; geographic distribution includes eastern and southern Africa where cattle and sheep are raised; symptoms are generally mild with fever and some liver abnormalities, but the disease may progress to hemorrhagic fever, encephalitis, or ocular disease; fatality rates are low at about 1% of cases.

Chikungunya - mosquito-borne (Aedes aegypti) viral disease associated with urban environments, similar to Dengue Fever; characterized by sudden onset of fever, rash, and severe joint pain usually lasting 3-7 days, some cases result in persistent arthritis.

water contact diseases acquired through swimming or wading in freshwater lakes, streams, and rivers:

Leptospirosis - bacterial disease that affects animals and humans; infection occurs through contact with water, food, or soil contaminated by animal urine; symptoms include high fever, severe headache, vomiting, jaundice, and diarrhea; untreated, the disease can result in kidney damage, liver failure, meningitis, or respiratory distress; fatality rates are low but left untreated recovery can take months.

Schistosomiasis - caused by parasitic trematode flatworm Schistosoma; fresh water snails act as intermediate host and release larval form of parasite that penetrates the skin of people exposed to contaminated water; worms mature and reproduce in the blood vessels, liver, kidneys, and intestines releasing eggs, which become trapped in tissues triggering an immune response; may manifest as either urinary or intestinal disease resulting in decreased work or learning capacity; mortality, while generally low, may occur in advanced cases usually due to bladder cancer; endemic in 74 developing countries with 80% of infected people living in sub-Saharan Africa; humans act as the reservoir for this parasite.

aerosolized dust or soil contact disease acquired through inhalation of aerosols contaminated with rodent urine:

Lassa fever - viral disease carried by rats of the genus Mastomys; endemic in portions of West Africa; infection occurs through direct contact with or consumption of food contaminated by rodent urine or fecal matter containing virus particles; fatality rate can reach 50% in epidemic outbreaks.

respiratory disease acquired through close contact with an infectious person:

Meningococcal meningitis - bacterial disease causing an inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord; one of the most important bacterial pathogens is Neisseria meningitidis because of its potential to cause epidemics; symptoms include stiff neck, high fever, headaches, and vomiting; bacteria are transmitted from person to person by respiratory droplets and facilitated by close and prolonged contact resulting from crowded living conditions, often with a seasonal distribution; death occurs in 5-15% of cases, typically within 24-48 hours of onset of symptoms; highest burden of meningococcal disease occurs in the hyperendemic region of sub-Saharan Africa known as the "Meningitis Belt" which stretches from Senegal east to Ethiopia.

animal contact disease acquired through direct contact with local animals:

Rabies - viral disease of mammals usually transmitted through the bite of an infected animal, most commonly dogs; virus affects the central nervous system causing brain alteration and death; symptoms initially are non-specific fever and headache progressing to neurological symptoms; death occurs within days of the onset of symptoms.

Manpower available for military service

This entry gives the number of males and females falling in the military age range for the country and assumes that every individual is fit to serve.

Manpower fit for military service

This entry gives the number of males and females falling in the military age range for the country and who are not otherwise disqualified for health reasons; accounts for the health situation in the country and provides a more realistic estimate of the actual number fit to serve.

Manpower reaching military service age annually

This entry gives the number of draft-age males and females entering the military manpower pool in any given year and is a measure of the availability of draft-age young adults.

Map references

This entry includes the name of the Factbook reference map on which a country may be found. The entry on Geographic coordinates may be helpful in finding some smaller countries.

Maritime claims

This entry includes the following claims, the definitions of which are excerpted from the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which alone contains the full and definitive descriptions:

territorial sea - the sovereignty of a coastal state extends beyond its land territory and internal waters to an adjacent belt of sea, described as the territorial sea in the UNCLOS (Part II); this sovereignty extends to the air space over the territorial sea as well as its underlying seabed and subsoil; every state has the right to establish the breadth of its territorial sea up to a limit not exceeding 12 nautical miles; the normal baseline for measuring the breadth of the territorial sea is the low-water line along the coast as marked on large-scale charts officially recognized by the coastal state; the UNCLOS describes specific rules for archipelagic states.

contiguous zone - according to the UNCLOS (Article 33), this is a zone contiguous to a coastal state's territorial sea, over which it may exercise the control necessary to: prevent infringement of its customs, fiscal, immigration, or sanitary laws and regulations within its territory or territorial sea; punish infringement of the above laws and regulations committed within its territory or territorial sea; the contiguous zone may not extend beyond 24 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured (e.g. the US has claimed a 12-nautical mile contiguous zone in addition to its 12-nautical mile territorial sea).

exclusive economic zone (EEZ) - the UNCLOS (Part V) defines the EEZ as a zone beyond and adjacent to the territorial sea in which a coastal state has: sovereign rights for the purpose of exploring and exploiting, conserving and managing the natural resources, whether living or non-living, of the waters superjacent to the seabed and of the seabed and its subsoil, and with regard to other activities for the economic exploitation and exploration of the zone, such as the production of energy from the water, currents, and winds; jurisdiction with regard to the establishment and use of artificial islands, installations, and structures; marine scientific research; the protection and preservation of the marine environment; the outer limit of the exclusive economic zone shall not exceed 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured.

continental shelf - the UNCLOS (Article 76) defines the continental shelf of a coastal state as comprising the seabed and subsoil of the submarine areas that extend beyond its territorial sea throughout the natural prolongation of its land territory to the outer edge of the continental margin, or to a distance of 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured where the outer edge of the continental margin does not extend up to that distance; the continental margin comprises the submerged prolongation of the landmass of the coastal state, and consists of the seabed and subsoil of the shelf, the slope and the rise; wherever the continental margin extends beyond 200 nautical miles from the baseline, coastal states may extend their claim to a distance not to exceed 350 nautical miles from the baseline or 100 nautical miles from the 2500 meter isobath; it does not include the deep ocean floor with its oceanic ridges or the subsoil thereof.

exclusive fishing zone - while this term is not used in the UNCLOS, some states (e.g., the United Kingdom) have chosen not to claim an EEZ, but rather to claim jurisdiction over the living resources off their coast; in such cases, the term exclusive fishing zone is often used; the breadth of this zone is normally the same as the EEZ or 200 nautical miles.

Median age

This entry is the age that divides a population into two numerically equal groups; that is, half the people are younger than this age and half are older. It is a single index that summarizes the age distribution of a population. Currently, the median age ranges from a low of about 15 in Uganda and Gaza Strip to 40 or more in several European countries and Japan. See the entry for "Age structure" for the importance of a young versus an older age structure and, by implication, a low versus a higher median age.

Merchant marine

Merchant marine may be defined as all ships engaged in the carriage of goods; or all commercial vessels (as opposed to all nonmilitary ships), which excludes tugs, fishing vessels, offshore oil rigs, etc. This entry contains information in four fields - total, ships by type, foreign-owned, and registered in other countries.

Total includes the number of ships (1,000 GRT or over), total DWT for those ships, and total GRT for those ships. DWT or dead weight tonnage is the total weight of cargo, plus bunkers, stores, etc., that a ship can carry when immersed to the appropriate load line. GRT or gross register tonnage is a figure obtained by measuring the entire sheltered volume of a ship available for cargo and passengers and converting it to tons on the basis of 100 cubic feet per ton; there is no stable relationship between GRT and DWT.

Ships by type includes a listing of barge carriers, bulk cargo ships, cargo ships, chemical tankers, combination bulk carriers, combination ore/oil carriers, container ships, liquefied gas tankers, livestock carriers, multifunctional large-load carriers, petroleum tankers, passenger ships, passenger/cargo ships, railcar carriers, refrigerated cargo ships, roll-on/roll-off cargo ships, short-sea passenger ships, specialized tankers, and vehicle carriers.

Foreign-owned are ships that fly the flag of one country but belong to owners in another.

Registered in other countries are ships that belong to owners in one country but fly the flag of another.

Military

This category includes the entries dealing with a country's military structure, manpower, and expenditures.

Military - note

This entry includes miscellaneous military information of significance not included elsewhere.

Military branches

This entry lists the service branches subordinate to defense ministries or the equivalent (typically ground, naval, air, and marine forces).

Military expenditures - dollar figure

This entry gives spending on defense programs in US dollars for the most recent year available; dollar figures for military expenditures should be treated with caution because of different price patterns and accounting methods among nations, as well as wide variations in the strength of different currencies.

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

This entry gives spending on defense programs for the most recent year available as a percent of gross domestic product (GDP); the GDP is calculated on an exchange rate basis, i.e., not in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP).

Military service age and obligation

This entry gives the required ages for voluntary or conscript military service and the length of sevice obligation.

Money figures

All money figures are expressed in contemporaneous US dollars unless otherwise indicated.

National holiday

This entry gives the primary national day of celebration - usually independence day.

Nationality

This entry provides the identifying terms for citizens - noun and adjective.

Natural gas - consumption

This entry is the total natural gas consumed in cubic meters (cu m). The discrepancy between the amount of natural gas produced and/or imported and the amount consumed and/or exported is due to the omission of stock changes and other complicating factors.

Natural gas - exports

This entry is the total natural gas exported in cubic meters (cu m).

Natural gas - imports

This entry is the total natural gas imported in cubic meters (cu m).

Natural gas - production

This entry is the total natural gas produced in cubic meters (cu m). The discrepancy between the amount of natural gas produced and/or imported and the amount consumed and/or exported is due to the omission of stock changes and other complicating factors.

Natural gas - proved reserves

This entry is the stock of proved reserves of natural gas in cubic meters (cu m). Proved reserves are those quantities of natural gas, which, by analysis of geological and engineering data, can be estimated with a high degree of confidence to be commercially recoverable from a given date forward, from known reservoirs and under current economic conditions.

Natural hazards

This entry lists potential natural disasters.

Natural resources

This entry lists a country's mineral, petroleum, hydropower, and other resources of commercial importance.

Net migration rate

This entry includes the figure for the difference between the number of persons entering and leaving a country during the year per 1,000 persons (based on midyear population). An excess of persons entering the country is referred to as net immigration (e.g., 3.56 migrants/1,000 population); an excess of persons leaving the country as net emigration (e.g., -9.26 migrants/1,000 population). The net migration rate indicates the contribution of migration to the overall level of population change. High levels of migration can cause problems such as increasing unemployment and potential ethnic strife (if people are coming in) or a reduction in the labor force, perhaps in certain key sectors (if people are leaving).

Oil - consumption

This entry is the total oil consumed in barrels per day (bbl/day). The discrepancy between the amount of oil produced and/or imported and the amount consumed and/or exported is due to the omission of stock changes, refinery gains, and other complicating factors.

Oil - exports

This entry is the total oil exported in barrels per day (bbl/day), including both crude oil and oil products.

Oil - imports

This entry is the total oil imported in barrels per day (bbl/day), including both crude oil and oil products.

Oil - production

This entry is the total oil produced in barrels per day (bbl/day). The discrepancy between the amount of oil produced and/or imported and the amount consumed and/or exported is due to the omission of stock changes, refinery gains, and other complicating factors.

Oil - proved reserves

This entry is the stock of proved reserves of crude oil in barrels (bbl). Proved reserves are those quantities of petroleum which, by analysis of geological and engineering data, can be estimated with a high degree of confidence to be commercially recoverable from a given date forward, from known reservoirs and under current economic conditions.

People

This category includes the entries dealing with the characteristics of the people and their society.

People - note

This entry includes miscellaneous demographic information of significance not included elsewhere.

Personal Names - Capitalization

The Factbook capitalizes the surname or family name of individuals for the convenience of our users who are faced with a world of different cultures and naming conventions. The need for capitalization, bold type, underlining, italics, or some other indicator of the individual's surname is apparent in the following examples: MAO Zedong, Fidel CASTRO Ruz, George W. BUSH, and TUNKU SALAHUDDIN Abdul Aziz Shah ibni Al- Marhum Sultan Hisammuddin Alam Shah. By knowing the surname, a short form without all capital letters can be used with confidence as in President Castro, Chairman Mao, President Bush, or Sultan Tunku Salahuddin. The same system of capitalization is extended to the names of leaders with surnames that are not commonly used such as Queen ELIZABETH II. For Vietnamese names, the given name is capitalized because officials are referred to by their given name rather than by their surname. For example, the president of Vietnam is Tran Duc LUONG. His surname is Tran, but he is referred to by his given name - President LUONG.

Personal Names - Spelling

The romanization of personal names in the Factbook normally follows the same transliteration system used by the US Board on Geographic Names for spelling place names. At times, however, a foreign leader expressly indicates a preference for, or the media or official documents regularly use, a romanized spelling that differs from the transliteration derived from the US Government standard. In such cases, the Factbook uses the alternative spelling.

Personal Names - Titles

The Factbook capitalizes any valid title (or short form of it) immediately preceding a person's name. A title standing alone is not capitalized. Examples: President PUTIN and President BUSH are chiefs of state. In Russia, the president is chief of state and the premier is the head of the government, while in the US, the president is both chief of state and head of government.

Petroleum

See entries under Oil.

Petroleum products

See entries under Oil.

Pipelines

This entry gives the lengths and types of pipelines for transporting products like natural gas, crude oil, or petroleum products.

Political parties and leaders

This entry includes a listing of significant political organizations and their leaders.

Political pressure groups and leaders

This entry includes a listing of organizations with leaders involved in politics, but not standing for legislative election.

Population

This entry gives an estimate from the US Bureau of the Census based on statistics from population censuses, vital statistics registration systems, or sample surveys pertaining to the recent past and on assumptions about future trends. The total population presents one overall measure of the potential impact of the country on the world and within its region. Note: starting with the 1993 Factbook, demographic estimates for some countries (mostly African) have explicitly taken into account the effects of the growing impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. These countries are currently: The Bahamas, Benin, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Population below poverty line

National estimates of the percentage of the population falling below the poverty line are based on surveys of sub-groups, with the results weighted by the number of people in each group. Definitions of poverty vary considerably among nations. For example, rich nations generally employ more generous standards of poverty than poor nations.

Population growth rate

The average annual percent change in the population, resulting from a surplus (or deficit) of births over deaths and the balance of migrants entering and leaving a country. The rate may be positive or negative. The growth rate is a factor in determining how great a burden would be imposed on a country by the changing needs of its people for infrastructure (e.g., schools, hospitals, housing, roads), resources (e.g., food, water, electricity), and jobs. Rapid population growth can be seen as threatening by neighboring countries.

Ports and terminals

This entry lists major ports and terminals primarily on the basis of the amount of cargo tonnage shipped through the facilities on an annual basis. In some instances, the number of containers handled or ship visits were also considered.

Public debt

This entry records the cumulatiive total of all government borrowings less repayments that are denominated in a country's home currency. Public debt should not be confused with external debt, which reflects the foreign currency liabilities of both the private and public sector and must be financed out of foreign exchange earnings.

Radio broadcast stations

This entry includes the total number of AM, FM, and shortwave broadcast stations.

Railways

This entry states the total route length of the railway network and of its component parts by gauge: broad, standard, narrow, and dual. Other gauges are listed under note.

Reference maps

This section includes world and regional maps.

Refugees and internally displaced persons

This entry includes those persons residing in a country as refugees or internally displaced persons (IDPs). The definition of a refugee according to a United Nations Convention is "a person who is outside his/her country of nationality or habitual residence; has a well- founded fear of persecution because of his/her race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion; and is unable or unwilling to avail himself/herself of the protection of that country, or to return there, for fear of persecution." The UN established the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in 1950 to handle refugee matters worldwide. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has a different, operational definition for a Palestinian refugee: "a person whose normal place of residence was Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948 and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 conflict." However, UNHCR also assists some 400,000 Palestinian refugees not covered under the UNRWA definition. The term "internally displaced person" is not specifically covered in the UN Convention; it is used to describe people who have fled their homes for reasons similar to refugees, but who remain within their own national territory and are subject to the laws of that state.

Religions

This entry is an ordered listing of religions by adherents starting with the largest group and sometimes includes the percent of total population.

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

This entry gives the dollar value for the stock of all financial assets that are available to the central monetary authority for use in meeting a country's balance of payments needs as of the end-date of the period specified. This category includes not only foreign currency and gold, but also a country's holdings of Special Drawing Rights in the International Monetary Fund, and its reserve position in the Fund.

Roadways

This entry gives the total length of the road network and includes the length of the paved and unpaved portions.

Sex ratio

This entry includes the number of males for each female in five age groups - at birth, under 15 years, 15-64 years, 65 years and over, and for the total population. Sex ratio at birth has recently emerged as an indicator of certain kinds of sex discrimination in some countries. For instance, high sex ratios at birth in some Asian countries are now attributed to sex-selective abortion and infanticide due to a strong preference for sons. This will affect future marriage patterns and fertility patterns. Eventually, it could cause unrest among young adult males who are unable to find partners.

Suffrage

This entry gives the age at enfranchisement and whether the right to vote is universal or restricted.

Telephone numbers

All telephone numbers in The World Factbook consist of the country code in brackets, the city or area code (where required) in parentheses, and the local number. The one component that is not presented is the international access code, which varies from country to country. For example, an international direct dial telephone call placed from the US to Madrid, Spain, would be as follows: 011 (1) 577-xxxx, where 011 is the international access code for station-to-station calls; 01 is for calls other than station-to-station calls, is the country code for Spain, (1) is the city code for Madrid, 577 is the local exchange, and xxxx is the local telephone number. An international direct dial telephone call placed from another country to the US would be as follows: international access code + (202) 939-xxxx, where [ 1] is the country code for the US, (202) is the area code for Washington, DC, 939 is the local exchange, and xxxx is the local telephone number.

Telephone system

This entry includes a brief general assessment of the system with details on the domestic and international components. The following terms and abbreviations are used throughout the entry:

Arabsat - Arab Satellite Communications Organization (Riyadh, Saudi
Arabia).

Autodin - Automatic Digital Network (US Department of Defense).

CB - citizen's band mobile radio communications.

Cellular telephone system - the telephones in this system are radio transceivers, with each instrument having its own private radio frequency and sufficient radiated power to reach the booster station in its area (cell), from which the telephone signal is fed to a telephone exchange.

Central American Microwave System - a trunk microwave radio relay system that links the countries of Central America and Mexico with each other.

Coaxial cable - a multichannel communication cable consisting of a central conducting wire, surrounded by and insulated from a cylindrical conducting shell; a large number of telephone channels can be made available within the insulated space by the use of a large number of carrier frequencies.

Comsat - Communications Satellite Corporation (US).

DSN - Defense Switched Network (formerly Automatic Voice Network or
Autovon); basic general-purpose, switched voice network of the Defense
Communications System (US Department of Defense).

Eutelsat - European Telecommunications Satellite Organization (Paris).

Fiber-optic cable - a multichannel communications cable using a thread of optical glass fibers as a transmission medium in which the signal (voice, video, etc.) is in the form of a coded pulse of light.

GSM - a global system for mobile (cellular) communications devised by the Groupe Special Mobile of the pan-European standardization organization, Conference Europeanne des Posts et Telecommunications (CEPT) in 1982.

HF - high frequency; any radio frequency in the 3,000- to 30,000-kHz range.

Inmarsat - International Maritime Satellite Organization (London); provider of global mobile satellite communications for commercial, distress, and safety applications at sea, in the air, and on land.

Intelsat - International Telecommunications Satellite Organization
(Washington, DC).

Intersputnik - International Organization of Space Communications
(Moscow); first established in the former Soviet Union and the East
European countries, it is now marketing its services worldwide with
earth stations in North America, Africa, and East Asia.

Landline - communication wire or cable of any sort that is installed on poles or buried in the ground.

Marecs - Maritime European Communications Satellite used in the
Inmarsat system on lease from the European Space Agency.

Marisat - satellites of the Comsat Corporation that participate in the
Inmarsat system.

Medarabtel - the Middle East Telecommunications Project of the
International Telecommunications Union (ITU) providing a modern
telecommunications network, primarily by microwave radio relay, linking
Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Libya, Morocco, Saudi Arabia,
Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, and Yemen; it was initially started in
Morocco in 1970 by the Arab Telecommunications Union (ATU) and was
known at that time as the Middle East Mediterranean Telecommunications
Network.

Microwave radio relay - transmission of long distance telephone calls and television programs by highly directional radio microwaves that are received and sent on from one booster station to another on an optical path.

NMT - Nordic Mobile Telephone; an analog cellular telephone system that was developed jointly by the national telecommunications authorities of the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden).

Orbita - a Russian television service; also the trade name of a packet- switched digital telephone network.

Radiotelephone communications - the two-way transmission and reception of sounds by broadcast radio on authorized frequencies using telephone handsets.

PanAmSat - PanAmSat Corporation (Greenwich, CT).

SAFE - South African Far East Cable

Satellite communication system - a communication system consisting of two or more earth stations and at least one satellite that provide long distance transmission of voice, data, and television; the system usually serves as a trunk connection between telephone exchanges; if the earth stations are in the same country, it is a domestic system.

Satellite earth station - a communications facility with a microwave radio transmitting and receiving antenna and required receiving and transmitting equipment for communicating with satellites.

Satellite link - a radio connection between a satellite and an earth station permitting communication between them, either one-way (down link from satellite to earth station - television receive-only transmission) or two-way (telephone channels).

SHF - super high frequency; any radio frequency in the 3,000- to 30,000-MHz range.

Shortwave - radio frequencies (from 1.605 to 30 MHz) that fall above the commercial broadcast band and are used for communication over long distances.

Solidaridad - geosynchronous satellites in Mexico's system of international telecommunications in the Western Hemisphere.

Statsionar - Russia's geostationary system for satellite telecommunications.

Submarine cable - a cable designed for service under water.

TAT - Trans-Atlantic Telephone; any of a number of high-capacity submarine coaxial telephone cables linking Europe with North America.

Telefax - facsimile service between subscriber stations via the public switched telephone network or the international Datel network.

Telegraph - a telecommunications system designed for unmodulated electric impulse transmission.

Telex - a communication service involving teletypewriters connected by wire through automatic exchanges.

Tropospheric scatter - a form of microwave radio transmission in which the troposphere is used to scatter and reflect a fraction of the incident radio waves back to earth; powerful, highly directional antennas are used to transmit and receive the microwave signals; reliable over-the-horizon communications are realized for distances up to 600 miles in a single hop; additional hops can extend the range of this system for very long distances.

Trunk network - a network of switching centers, connected by multichannel trunk lines.

UHF - ultra high frequency; any radio frequency in the 300- to 3,000-
MHz range.

VHF - very high frequency; any radio frequency in the 30- to 300-MHz range.

Telephones - main lines in use

This entry gives the total number of main telephone lines in use.

Telephones - mobile cellular

This entry gives the total number of mobile cellular telephone subscribers.

Television broadcast stations

This entry gives the total number of separate broadcast stations plus any repeater stations.

Terminology

Due to the highly structured nature of the Factbook database, some collective generic terms have to be used. For example, the word Country in the Country name entry refers to a wide variety of dependencies, areas of special sovereignty, uninhabited islands, and other entities in addition to the traditional countries or independent states. Military is also used as an umbrella term for various civil defense, security, and defense activities in many entries. The Independence entry includes the usual colonial independence dates and former ruling states as well as other significant nationhood dates such as the traditional founding date or the date of unification, federation, confederation, establishment, or state succession that are not strictly independence dates. Dependent areas have the nature of their dependency status noted in this same entry.

Terrain

This entry contains a brief description of the topography.

Time Difference

This entry is expressed in The World Factbook in two ways. First, it is stated as the difference in hours between the capital of an entity and Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) during Standard Time. Additionally, the difference in time between the capital of an entity and that observed in Washington, D.C. is also provided. Note that the time difference assumes both locations are simultaneously observing Standard Time or Daylight Saving Time.

Time zones

Ten countries (Australia, Brazil, Canada, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, Spain, and the United States) and the island of Greenland observe more than one official time depending on the number of designated time zones within their boundaries. An illustration of time zones throughout the world and within countries can be seen in the Standard Time Zones of the World map included in the Reference Maps section of The World Factbook.

Total fertility rate

This entry gives a figure for the average number of children that would be born per woman if all women lived to the end of their childbearing years and bore children according to a given fertility rate at each age. The total fertility rate (TFR) is a more direct measure of the level of fertility than the crude birth rate, since it refers to births per woman. This indicator shows the potential for population change in the country. A rate of two children per woman is considered the replacement rate for a population, resulting in relative stability in terms of total numbers. Rates above two children indicate populations growing in size and whose median age is declining. Higher rates may also indicate difficulties for families, in some situations, to feed and educate their children and for women to enter the labor force. Rates below two children indicate populations decreasing in size and growing older. Global fertility rates are in general decline and this trend is most pronounced in industrialized countries, especially Western Europe, where populations are projected to decline dramatically over the next 50 years.

Trafficking in persons

Trafficking in persons is modern-day slavery, involving victims who are forced, defrauded, or coerced into labor or sexual exploitation. The International Labor Organization (ILO), the UN agency charged with addressing labor standards, employment, and social protection issues, estimates that 12.3 million people worldwide are enslaved in forced labor, bonded labor, forced child labor, sexual servitude, and involuntary servitude at any given time. Human trafficking is a multi- dimensional threat, depriving people of their human rights and freedoms, risking global health, promoting social breakdown, inhibiting development by depriving countries of their human capital, and helping fuel the growth of organized crime. In 2000, the US Congress passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA), reauthorized in 2003 and 2005, which provides tools for the US to combat trafficking in persons, both domestically and abroad. One of the law¿s key components is the creation of the US Department of State¿s annual Trafficking in Persons Report, which assesses the government response in some 150 countries with a significant number of victims trafficked across their borders who are recruited, harbored, transported, provided, or obtained for forced labor or sexual exploitation. Countries in the annual report are rated in three tiers, based on government efforts to combat trafficking. The countries identified in this entry are those listed in the 2006 Trafficking in Persons Report as Tier 2 Watch List or Tier 3 based on the following definitions:

Tier 2 Watch List countries do not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but are making significant efforts to do so, and meet one of the following criteria: 1. they display a high or significantly increasing number victims, 2. they have failed to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking in persons, or, 3. they have committed to take action over the next year.

Tier 3 countries neither satisfy the minimum standards for the elimination of traffiking nor demonstrate a significant effort to do so. Countries in this tier are subject to potential non-humanitarian and non-trade sanctions.

Transnational issues

This category includes four entries - Disputes - international,
Refugees and internally displaced persons, Trafficking in persons, and
Illicit drugs - that deal with current issues going beyond national
boundaries.

Transportation

This category includes the entries dealing with the means for movement of people and goods.

Transportation - note

This entry includes miscellaneous transportation information of significance not included elsewhere.

UTC (Coordinated Universal Time)

See entry for Coordinated Universal Time.

Unemployment rate

This entry contains the percent of the labor force that is without jobs. Substantial underemployment might be noted.

Waterways

This entry gives the total length of navigable rivers, canals, and other inland bodies of water.

Weights and Measures

This information is presented in Appendix G: Weights and Measures and includes mathematical notations (mathematical powers and names), metric interrelationships (prefix; symbol; length, weight, or capacity; area; volume), and standard conversion factors.

Years

All year references are for the calendar year (CY) unless indicated as fiscal year (FY). The calendar year is an accounting period of 12 months from 1 January to 31 December. The fiscal year is an accounting period of 12 months other than 1 January to 31 December.

Note: Information for the US and US dependencies was compiled from material in the public domain and does not represent Intelligence Community estimates.

This page was last updated on 19 December 2006

A Brief History of Basic Intelligence and The World Factbook

The Intelligence Cycle is the process by which information is acquired, converted into intelligence, and made available to policymakers. Information is raw data from any source, data that may be fragmentary, contradictory, unreliable, ambiguous, deceptive, or wrong. Intelligence is information that has been collected, integrated, evaluated, analyzed, and interpreted. Finished intelligence is the final product of the Intelligence Cycle ready to be delivered to the policymaker.

The three types of finished intelligence are: basic, current, and estimative. Basic intelligence provides the fundamental and factual reference material on a country or issue. Current intelligence reports on new developments. Estimative intelligence judges probable outcomes. The three are mutually supportive: basic intelligence is the foundation on which the other two are constructed; current intelligence continually updates the inventory of knowledge; and estimative intelligence revises overall interpretations of country and issue prospects for guidance of basic and current intelligence. The World Factbook, The President's Daily Brief, and the National Intelligence Estimates are examples of the three types of finished intelligence.

The United States has carried on foreign intelligence activities since the days of George Washington but only since World War II have they been coordinated on a government-wide basis. Three programs have highlighted the development of coordinated basic intelligence since that time: (1) the Joint Army Navy Intelligence Studies (JANIS), (2) the National Intelligence Survey (NIS), and (3) The World Factbook.

During World War II, intelligence consumers realized that the production of basic intelligence by different components of the US Government resulted in a great duplication of effort and conflicting information. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 brought home to leaders in Congress and the executive branch the need for integrating departmental reports to national policymakers. Detailed and coordinated information was needed not only on such major powers as Germany and Japan, but also on places of little previous interest. In the Pacific Theater, for example, the Navy and Marines had to launch amphibious operations against many islands about which information was unconfirmed or nonexistent. Intelligence authorities resolved that the United States should never again be caught unprepared.

In 1943, Gen. George B. Strong (G-2), Adm. H. C. Train (Office of Naval Intelligence - ONI), and Gen. William J. Donovan (Director of the Office of Strategic Services - OSS) decided that a joint effort should be initiated. A steering committee was appointed on 27 April 1943 that recommended the formation of a Joint Intelligence Study Publishing Board to assemble, edit, coordinate, and publish the Joint Army Navy Intelligence Studies (JANIS). JANIS was the first interdepartmental basic intelligence program to fulfill the needs of the US Government for an authoritative and coordinated appraisal of strategic basic intelligence. Between April 1943 and July 1947, the board published 34 JANIS studies. JANIS performed well in the war effort, and numerous letters of commendation were received, including a statement from Adm. Forrest Sherman, Chief of Staff, Pacific Ocean Areas, which said, "JANIS has become the indispensable reference work for the shore-based planners."

The need for more comprehensive basic intelligence in the postwar world was well expressed in 1946 by George S. Pettee, a noted author on national security. He wrote in The Future of American Secret Intelligence (Infantry Journal Press, 1946, page 46) that world leadership in peace requires even more elaborate intelligence than in war. "The conduct of peace involves all countries, all human activities - not just the enemy and his war production."

The Central Intelligence Agency was established on 26 July 1947 and officially began operating on 18 September 1947. Effective 1 October 1947, the Director of Central Intelligence assumed operational responsibility for JANIS. On 13 January 1948, the National Security Council issued Intelligence Directive (NSCID) No. 3, which authorized the National Intelligence Survey (NIS) program as a peacetime replacement for the wartime JANIS program. Before adequate NIS country sections could be produced, government agencies had to develop more comprehensive gazetteers and better maps. The US Board on Geographic Names (BGN) compiled the names; the Department of the Interior produced the gazetteers; and CIA produced the maps.

The Hoover Commission's Clark Committee, set up in 1954 to study the structure and administration of the CIA, reported to Congress in 1955 that: "The National Intelligence Survey is an invaluable publication which provides the essential elements of basic intelligence on all areas of the world. There will always be a continuing requirement for keeping the Survey up-to-date." The Factbook was created as an annual summary and update to the encyclopedic NIS studies. The first classified Factbook was published in August 1962, and the first unclassified version was published in June 1971. The NIS program was terminated in 1973 except for the Factbook, map, and gazetteer components. The 1975 Factbook was the first to be made available to the public with sales through the US Government Printing Office (GPO). The Factbook was first made available on the Internet in June 1997. The year 2006 marks the 59th anniversary of the establishment of the Central Intelligence Agency and the 63nd year of continuous basic intelligence support to the US Government by The World Factbook and its two predecessor programs.

This page was last updated on 28 November, 2006

Contributors and Copyright Information

The World Factbook is prepared by the Central Intelligence Agency for the use of US Government officials, and the style, format, coverage, and content are designed to meet their specific requirements. Information is provided by Antarctic Information Program (National Science Foundation), Armed Forces Medical Intelligence Center (Department of Defense), Bureau of the Census (Department of Commerce), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Department of Labor), Central Intelligence Agency, Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs, Defense Intelligence Agency (Department of Defense), Department of Energy, Department of State, Fish and Wildlife Service (Department of the Interior), Maritime Administration (Department of Transportation), National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (Department of Defense), Naval Facilities Engineering Command (Department of Defense), Office of Insular Affairs (Department of the Interior), Office of Naval Intelligence (Department of Defense), US Board on Geographic Names (Department of the Interior), US Transportation Command (Department of Defense), Oil & Gas Journal, and other public and private sources.

The Factbook is in the public domain. Accordingly, it may be copied freely without permission of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The official seal of the CIA, however, may NOT be copied without permission as required by the CIA Act of 1949 (50 U.S.C. section 403m). Misuse of the official seal of the CIA could result in civil and criminal penalties.

Comments and queries are welcome and may be addressed to:

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Purchasing Information

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) publishes The World Factbook in printed and Internet versions. US Government officials may obtain information about availability of the Factbook from their organizations or through liaison channels to the CIA. Other users may obtain sales information about printed copies from the following:

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The World Factbook can be accessed on the Internet at: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html

This page was last updated on 23 March, 2006

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The World Factbook staff thanks you for your comments, suggestions, updates, kudos, and corrections over the past years. The willingness of readers from around the world to share their observations and specialized knowledge is very helpful as we try to produce the best possible publications. Please feel free to continue to write and e-mail e-mail us. When submitting corrections or updates to the Factbook, please include your source(s) of information. At least two Factbook staffers review every submitted item. The sheer volume of correspondence precludes detailed personal replies, but we sincerely appreciate your time and interest in the Factbook. If you include your e-mail address we will at least acknowledge your note. Thank you again.

Answers to many frequently asked questions (FAQs) are explained in the Notes and Definitions section in The World Factbook. Please review this section to see if your question is already answered there. In addition, we have compiled the following list of FAQs to answer other common questions. Select from the following categories to narrow your search:

General
Geography
Spelling and Pronunciation
Policies and Procedures
Technical

General

Can you provide additional information for a specific country?

The staff cannot provide data beyond what appears in The World Factbook. The format and information in the Factbook are tailored to the specific requirements of US Government officials and content is focused on their current and anticipated needs. The staff welcomes suggestions for new entries.

How often is The World Factbook updated?

Formerly our Web site (and the published Factbook) were only updated annually. Beginning in November 2001 we instituted a new system of more frequent online updates. The World Factbook is currently updated every two weeks.

The annual printed version of the Factbook is usually released about midyear. US Government officials may obtain information about Factbook availability from their own organizations or through liaison channels to the CIA. Other users may obtain sales information through the following channels:

Superintendent of Documents
P. O. Box 371954 Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954
Telephone: (202) 512-1800
FAX: (202) 512-2250
http://bookstore.gpo.gov

National Technical Information Service 5285 Port Royal Road Springfield, VA 22161 Telephone: (800) 553-6847 (only in the US); (703) 605-6000 (for outside US) FAX: (703) 605-6900 http://www.ntis.gov

Can I use some or all of The World Factbook for my Web site (book, research project, homework, etc.)?

The World Factbook is in the public domain and may be used freely by anyone at anytime without seeking permission. However, US Code prohibits use of the CIA seal in a manner which implies that the CIA approved, endorsed, or authorized such use. If you have any questions about your intended use, you should consult with legal counsel. Further information on The World Factbook's use is described on the Contributors and Copyright Information page. As a courtesy, please cite The World Factbook when used.

Why doesn't The World Factbook include information on states, departments, provinces, etc., in the country format?

The World Factbook provides national-level information on countries, territories, and dependencies, but not subnational administrative units within a country. A good encyclopedia should provide state/province-level information.

Is it possible to access older editions of The World Factbook to do comparative research and trend analysis?

Only the current version is available for browsing on the CIA Web site. In the future, the staff hopes to post electronic versions of The World Factbook as far back as 1986. Hardcopy editions for earlier years are available from libraries.

Would it be possible to set up a partnership or collaboration between the producers of The World Factbook and other organizations or individuals?

The World Factbook does not partner with other organizations or individuals, but we do welcome comments and suggestions that such groups or persons choose to provide.

Geography

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This page was last updated on 23 August, 2006

@Afghanistan

Introduction Afghanistan

Background:
Ahmad Shah DURRANI unified the Pashtun tribes and founded
Afghanistan in 1747. The country served as a buffer between the
British and Russian empires until it won independence from notional
British control in 1919. A brief experiment in democracy ended in a
1973 coup and a 1978 Communist counter-coup. The Soviet Union
invaded in 1979 to support the tottering Afghan Communist regime,
but withdrew 10 years later under relentless pressure by
internationally supported anti-Communist mujahedin rebels. A civil
war between mujahedin factions erupted following the 1992 fall of
the Communist regime. The Taliban, a hardline Pakistani-sponsored
movement that emerged in 1994 to end the country's civil war and
anarchy, seized Kabul in 1996 and most of the country outside of
opposition Northern Alliance strongholds by 1998. Following the 11
September 2001 terrorist attacks, a US, Allied, and Northern
Alliance military action toppled the Taliban for sheltering Osama
BIN LADIN. In late 2001, a conference in Bonn, Germany, established
a process for political reconstruction that included the adoption of
a new constitution and a presidential election in 2004, and National
Assembly elections in 2005. On 7 December 2004, Hamid KARZAI became
the first democratically elected president of Afghanistan. The
National Assembly was inaugurated on 19 December 2005.

Geography Afghanistan

Location:
Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran

Geographic coordinates:
33 00 N, 65 00 E

Map references:
Asia

Area:
total: 647,500 sq km
land: 647,500 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Texas

Land boundaries:
total: 5,529 km
border countries: China 76 km, Iran 936 km, Pakistan 2,430 km,
Tajikistan 1,206 km, Turkmenistan 744 km, Uzbekistan 137 km

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers

Terrain:
mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Amu Darya 258 m
highest point: Nowshak 7,485 m

Natural resources:
natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites,
sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones

Land use: arable land: 12.13% permanent crops: 0.21% other: 87.66% (2005)

Irrigated land:
27,200 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding;
droughts

Environment - current issues:
limited natural fresh water resources; inadequate supplies of
potable water; soil degradation; overgrazing; deforestation (much of
the remaining forests are being cut down for fuel and building
materials); desertification; air and water pollution

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping
signed, but not ratified: Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
Life Conservation

Geography - note:
landlocked; the Hindu Kush mountains that run northeast to
southwest divide the northern provinces from the rest of the
country; the highest peaks are in the northern Vakhan (Wakhan
Corridor)

People Afghanistan

Population:
31,056,997 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 44.6% (male 7,095,117/female 6,763,759)
15-64 years: 53% (male 8,436,716/female 8,008,463)
65 years and over: 2.4% (male 366,642/female 386,300) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 17.6 years
male: 17.6 years
female: 17.6 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
2.67% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
46.6 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
20.34 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
0.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 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: 0.95 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 160.23 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 164.77 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 155.45 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 43.34 years
male: 43.16 years
female: 43.53 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
6.69 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.01% (2001 est.)

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: malaria is a high risk countrywide below 2,000 meters from March through November animal contact disease: rabies (2005)

Nationality:
noun: Afghan(s)
adjective: Afghan

Ethnic groups:
Pashtun 42%, Tajik 27%, Hazara 9%, Uzbek 9%, Aimak 4%, Turkmen 3%,
Baloch 2%, other 4%

Religions:
Sunni Muslim 80%, Shi'a Muslim 19%, other 1%

Languages:
Afghan Persian or Dari (official) 50%, Pashtu (official) 35%,
Turkic languages (primarily Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor
languages (primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4%, much bilingualism

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 36%
male: 51%
female: 21% (1999 est.)

People - note:
of the estimated 4 million refugees in October 2001, 2.3 million
have returned

Government Afghanistan

Country name:
conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
conventional short form: Afghanistan
local long form: Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Afghanestan
local short form: Afghanestan
former: Republic of Afghanistan

Government type:
Islamic republic

Capital:
name: Kabul
geographic coordinates: 34 31 N, 69 12 E
time difference: UTC+4.5 (9.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
34 provinces (velayat, singular - velayat); Badakhshan, Badghis,
Baghlan, Balkh, Bamian, Daykondi, Farah, Faryab, Ghazni, Ghowr,
Helmand, Herat, Jowzjan, Kabol, Kandahar, Kapisa, Khowst, Konar,
Kondoz, Laghman, Lowgar, Nangarhar, Nimruz, Nurestan, Oruzgan,
Paktia, Paktika, Panjshir, Parvan, Samangan, Sar-e Pol, Takhar,
Vardak, Zabol

Independence:
19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 19 August (1919)

Constitution:
new constitution drafted 14 December 2003-4 January 2004; signed 16
January 2004

Legal system:
according to the new constitution, no law should be "contrary to
Islam"; the state is obliged to create a prosperous and progressive
society based on social justice, protection of human dignity,
protection of human rights, realization of democracy, and to ensure
national unity and equality among all ethnic groups and tribes; the
state shall abide by the UN charter, international treaties,
international conventions that Afghanistan signed, and the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Hamid KARZAI (since 7 December 2004); Vice Presidents Ahmad Zia
MASOOD and Abdul Karim KHALILI (since 7 December 2004); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government; former
King ZAHIR Shah holds the honorific, "Father of the Country," and
presides symbolically over certain occasions, but lacks any
governing authority; the honorific is not hereditary
head of government: President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
Hamid KARZAI (since 7 December 2004); Vice Presidents Ahmad Zia
MASOOD and Abdul Karim KHALILI (since 7 December 2004); note - the
president is both chief of state and head of government
cabinet: 27 ministers; note - under the new constitution, ministers
are appointed by the president and approved by the National Assembly
elections: the president and two vice presidents are elected by
direct vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); if no
candidate receives 50% or more of the vote in the first round of
voting, the two candidates with the most votes will participate in a
second round; a president can only be elected for two terms;
election last held 9 October 2004 (next to be held in 2009)
election results: Hamid KARZAI elected president; percent of vote -
Hamid KARZAI 55.4%, Yunus QANOONI 16.3%, Ustad Mohammad MOHAQQEQ
11.6%, Abdul Rashid DOSTAM 10.0%, Abdul Latif PEDRAM 1.4%, Masooda
JALAL 1.2%

Legislative branch:
the bicameral National Assembly consists of the Wolesi Jirga or
House of People (no more than 249 seats), directly elected for
five-year terms, and the Meshrano Jirga or House of Elders (102
seats, one-third elected from provincial councils for four-year
terms, one-third elected from local district councils for three-year
terms - provincial councils elected temporary members to fill these
seats until district councils are formed, and one-third presidential
appointees for five-year terms; the presidential appointees will
include 2 representatives of Kuchis and 2 representatives of the
disabled; half of the presidential appointees will be women)
note: on rare occasions the government may convene a Loya Jirga
(Grand Council) on issues of independence, national sovereignty, and
territorial integrity; it can amend the provisions of the
constitution and prosecute the president; it is made up of members
of the National Assembly and chairpersons of the provincial and
district councils
elections: last held 18 September 2005 (next to be held for the
Wolesi Jirga by September 2009; next to be held for the provincial
councils to the Meshrano Jirga by September 2008)
election results: the single non-transferable vote (SNTV) system
used in the election did not make use of political party slates;
most candidates ran as independents

Judicial branch:
the constitution establishes a nine-member Stera Mahkama or Supreme
Court (its nine justices are appointed for 10-year terms by the
president with approval of the Wolesi Jirga) and subordinate High
Courts and Appeals Courts (note - nine supreme court justices were
appointed in the interim in January 2005 pending National Assembly
selection of the constitutionally mandated justices); there is also
a minister of justice; a separate Afghan Independent Human Rights
Commission established by the Bonn Agreement is charged with
investigating human rights abuses and war crimes

Political parties and leaders:
note - includes only political parties approved by the Ministry of
Justice: Afghan Millat [Anwarul Haq AHADI]; De Afghanistan De Solay
Ghorzang Gond [Shahnawaz TANAI]; De Afghanistan De Solay Mili Islami
Gond [Shah Mahmood Polal ZAI]; Harakat-e-Islami Afghanistan
[Mohammad Asif MOHSINEE]; Hezb-e-Aarman-e-Mardum-e-Afghanistan
[Iihaj Saraj-u-din ZAFAREE]; Hezb-e-Aazadee Afghanistan [Abdul
MALIK]; Hezb-e-Adalat-e-Islami Afghanistan [Mohammad Kabeer
MARZBAN]; Hezb-e-Afghanistan-e-Wahid [Mohammad Wasil RAHEEMEE];
Hezb-e-Afghan Watan Islami Gond; Hezb-e-Congra-e-Mili Afghanistan
[Latif PEDRAM]; Hezb-e-Falah-e-Mardum-e-Afghanistan [Mohammad
ZAREEF]; Hezb-e-Hambastagee Mili Jawanan-e-Afghanistan [Mohammad
Jamil KARZAI]; Hezb-e-Hamnbatagee-e-Afghanistan [Abdul Khaleq
NEMAT]; Hezb-e-Harakat-e-Mili Wahdat-e-Afghanistan [Mohammad Nadir
AATASH]; Hezb-e-Harak-e-Islami Mardum-e-Afghanistan [Ilhaj Said
Hssain ANWARY]; Hezb-e-Ifazat Az Uqoq-e-Bashar Wa
Inkishaf-e-Afghanistan [Baryalai NASRATEE];
Hezb-e-Istiqlal-e-Afghanistan [Dr. Gh. Farooq NIJZRABEE];
Hezb-e-Jamhoree Khwahan [Sibghatullah SANJAR]; Hezb-e-Kar Wa
Tawsiha-e-Afghanistan [Zulfiar OMID]; Hezb-e-Libral-e-Aazadee
Khwa-e-Mardum-e-Afghanistan [Ajmal SOHAIL]; Hezb-e-Mili Afghanistan
[Abdul Rasheed AARYAN]; Hezb-e-Mili Wahdat-e-Aqwam-e-Islami
Afghanistan [Mohammad Shah KHOGYANEE]; Hezb-e-Nuhzhat-e-Mili
Afghanistan [Ahmad Wali MASOUD]; Hezb-e-Paiwand-e-Mili Afghanistan
[Said Mansoor NADIRI]; Hezb-e-Rastakhaiz-e-Islami
Mardum-e-Afghanistan [Said ZAHIR];
Hezb-e-Refah-e-Mardum-e-Afghanistan [Mia Gul WASEEQ];
Hezb-e-Risalat-e-Mardum-e-Afghanistan [Noor Aqa ROEEN];
Hezb-e-Sahadat-e-Mardum-e-Afghanistan [Mohammad Zubair PAIROZ];
Hezb-e-Sahadat-e-Mili Wa Islami Afghanistan [Mohammad Usman
SALIGZADA]; Hezb-e-Sulh-e-Mili Islami Aqwam-e-Afghanistan [Abdul
Qahir SHARYATEE]; Hezb-e-Sulh Wa Wahdat-e-Mili Afghanistan [Abdul
Qadir IMAMEE]; Hezb-e-Tafahum-e-Wa Democracy Afghanistan [Ahamad
SHAHEEN]; Hezb-e-Wahdat-e-Islami Afghanistan [Mohammad Karim
KHALILI]; Hezb-e-Wahdat-e-Islami Mardum-e-Afghanistan [Ustad
Mohammad MOHAQQEQ]; Hezb-e-Wahdat-e-Mili Afghanistan [Abdul Rasheed
JALILI]; Jamahat-ul-Dahwat ilal Qurhan-wa-Sunat-ul-Afghanistan
[Mawlawee Samiullah NAJEEBEE]; Jombesh-e Milli [Abdul Rashid
DOSTAM]; Mahaz-e-Mili Islami Afghanistan [Said Ahmad GAILANEE];
Majmah-e-Mili Fahaleen-e-Sulh-e-Afghanistan [Shams ul Haq Noor
SHAMS]; Nuhzat-e-Aazadee Wa Democracy Afghanistan [Abdul Raqeeb
Jawid KUHISTANEE]; Nuhzat-e-Hambastagee Mili Afghanistan [Peer Said
Ishaq GAILANEE]; Sazman-e-Islami Afghanistan-e-Jawan [Siad Jawad
HUSSAINEE]; Tahreek Wahdat-e-Mili [Sultan Mahmood DHAZI] (30 Sep
2004)

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Jamiat-e Islami (Society of Islam) [former President Burhanuddin
RABBANI]; Ittihad-e Islami (Islamic Union for the Liberation of
Afghanistan) [Abdul Rasul SAYYAF]; there are also small monarchist,
communist, and democratic groups

International organization participation:
AsDB, CP, ECO, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent),
ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OSCE (partner), SACEP, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Said Tayeb JAWAD
chancery: 2341 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: 202-483-6410
FAX: 202-483-6488
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ronald E. NEUMANN
embassy: The Great Masood Road, Kabul
mailing address: 6180 Kabul Place, Dulles, VA 20189-6180
telephone: [00 93] (20) 230-0436
FAX: [00 93] (20) 230-1364

Flag description:
three equal vertical bands of black (hoist), red, and green, with a
gold emblem centered on the red band; the emblem features a
temple-like structure encircled by a wreath on the left and right
and by a bold Islamic inscription above

Economy Afghanistan

Economy - overview:
Afghanistan's economic outlook has improved significantly since the
fall of the Taliban regime in 2001 because of the infusion of over
$8 billion in international assistance, recovery of the agricultural
sector and growth of the service sector, and the reestablishment of
market institutions. Real GDP growth is estimated to have slowed in
the last fiscal year primarily because adverse weather conditions
cut agricultural production, but is expected to rebound over 2005-06
because of foreign donor reconstruction and service sector growth.
Despite the progress of the past few years, Afghanistan remains
extremely poor, landlocked, and highly dependent on foreign aid,
farming, and trade with neighboring countries. It will probably take
the remainder of the decade and continuing donor aid and attention
to significantly raise Afghanistan's living standards from its
current status, among the lowest in the world. Much of the
population continues to suffer from shortages of housing, clean
water, electricity, medical care, and jobs, but the Afghan
government and international donors remain committed to improving
access to these basic necessities by prioritizing infrastructure
development, education, housing development, jobs programs, and
economic reform over the next year. Growing political stability and
continued international commitment to Afghan reconstruction create
an optimistic outlook for continuing improvements in the Afghan
economy in 2006. Expanding poppy cultivation and a growing opium
trade may account for one-third of GDP and looms as one of Kabul's
most serious policy challenges. Other long-term challenges include:
boosting the supply of skilled labor, reducing vulnerability to
severe natural disasters, expanding health services, and rebuilding
a war torn infrastructure.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$21.5 billion (2004 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$7.095 billion

GDP - real growth rate:
14% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$800 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 38% industry: 24% services: 38% note: data exclude opium production (2005 est.)

Labor force: 15 million (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 80% industry: 10% services: 10% (2004 est.)

Unemployment rate:
40% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:
53% (2003)

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
16.3% (2005 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $269 million
expenditures: $561 million; including capital expenditures of $41.7
million
note: Afghanistan has also received $273 million from the
Reconstruction Trust Fund and $63 million from the Law and Order
Trust Fund (FY04-05 budget est.)

Agriculture - products:
opium, wheat, fruits, nuts; wool, mutton, sheepskins, lambskins

Industries:
small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes,
fertilizer, cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, coal, copper

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
905 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 36.3% hydro: 63.7% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
1.042 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
200 million kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2003)

Oil - consumption:
5,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day

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

Natural gas - production:
50 million cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
50 million cu m (2003 est.)

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

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

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

Exports:
$471 million; note - not including illicit exports or reexports
(2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and
pelts, precious and semi-precious gems

Exports - partners:
US 25.3%, Pakistan 20.9%, India 20.8%, Finland 4% (2005)

Imports:
$3.87 billion (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
capital goods, food, textiles, petroleum products

Imports - partners:
Pakistan 23.9%, US 11.8%, Germany 6.8%, India 6.5%, Turkey 5.1%,
Turkmenistan 5%, Russia 4.7%, Kenya 4.4% (2005)

Debt - external:
$8 billion in bilateral debt, mostly to Russia; Afghanistan has
$500 million in debt to Multilateral Development Banks (2004)

Economic aid - recipient:
international pledges made by more than 60 countries and
international financial institutions at the Berlin Donors Conference
for Afghan reconstruction in March 2004 reached $8.9 billion for
2004-09

Currency (code):
afghani (AFA)

Currency code:
AFA

Exchange rates:
afghanis per US dollar - 541 (2005), 48 (2004), 49 (2003), 41
(2002), 66 (2001)
note: in 2002, the afghani was revalued and the currency stabilized
at about 50 afghanis to the dollar; before 2002, the market rate
varied widely from the official rate

Fiscal year:
21 March - 20 March

Communications Afghanistan

Telephones - main lines in use:
100,000 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.2 million (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: very limited telephone and telegraph service
domestic: telephone service is improving with the licensing of four
wireless telephone service providers by 2005; approximately 4 in 100
Afghans own a wireless telephone; telephone main lines remain
limited.
international: country code - 93; five VSAT's installed in Kabul,
Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif, Kandahar, and Jalalabad provide international
and domestic voice and data connectivity

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 21, FM 23, shortwave 1 (broadcasts in Pashtu, Afghan Persian
(Dari), Urdu, and English) (2003)

Radios:
167,000 (1999)

Television broadcast stations: at least 10 (one government-run central television station in Kabul and regional stations in nine of the 34 provinces; the regional stations operate on a reduced schedule; also, in 1997, there was a station in Mazar-e-Sharif reaching four northern Afghanistan provinces) (1998)

Televisions:
100,000 (1999)

Internet country code:
.af

Internet hosts:
22 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
30,000 (2005)

Communications - note:
in March 2003, 'af' was established as Afghanistan's domain name;
Internet access is growing through Internet cafes as well as public
"telekiosks" in Kabul (2002)

Transportation Afghanistan

Airports: 46 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 11
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 35
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 16
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 9 (2006)

Heliports:
9 (2006)

Pipelines:
gas 466 km (2006)

Roadways:
total: 34,789 km
paved: 8,231 km
unpaved: 26,558 km (2003)

Waterways:
1,200 km (chiefly Amu Darya, which handles vessels up to 500 DWT)
(2005)

Ports and terminals:
Kheyrabad, Shir Khan

Military Afghanistan

Military branches:
Afghan National Army (includes Afghan Air Force) (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
22 years of age; inductees are contracted into service for a 4-year
term (2005)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 22-49: 4,952,812
females age 22-49: 4,663,963 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 22-49: 2,662,946
females age 22-49: 2,508,574 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 275,362
females age 22-49: 259,935 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$122.4 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.7% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Afghanistan

Disputes - international:
most Afghan refugees in Pakistan have been repatriated, but
thousands still remain in Iran, many at their own choosing;
Coalition and Pakistani forces continue to patrol remote tribal
areas to control the borders and stem organized terrorist and other
illegal cross-border activities; regular meetings between Pakistani
and Coalition allies aim to resolve periodic claims of boundary
encroachments; regional conflicts over water-sharing arrangements
with Amu Darya and Helmand River states

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 200,000-300,000 (mostly Pashtuns and Kuchis displaced in
south and west due to drought and instability) (2005)

Illicit drugs:
world's largest producer of opium; cultivation dropped 48% to
107,400 hectares in 2005; better weather and lack of widespread
disease returned opium yields to normal levels, meaning potential
opium production declined by only 10% to 4,475 metric tons; if the
entire poppy crop were processed, it is estimated that 526 metric
tons of heroin could be processed; source of hashish; many
narcotics-processing labs throughout the country; drug trade source
of instability and some antigovernment groups profit from the trade;
80-90% of the heroin consumed in Europe comes from Afghan opium;
vulnerable to narcotics money laundering through informal financial
networks

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

@Akrotiri

Introduction Akrotiri

Background:
By terms of the 1960 Treaty of Establishment that created the
independent Republic of Cyprus, the UK retained full sovereignty and
jurisdiction over two areas of almost 254 square kilometers -
Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The southernmost and smallest of these is the
Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area, which is also referred to as the
Western Sovereign Base Area.

Geography Akrotiri

Location:
peninsula on the southwest coast of Cyprus

Geographic coordinates:
34 37 N, 32 58 E

Map references:
Middle East

Area:
total: 123 sq km
note: includes a salt lake and wetlands

Area - comparative:
about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: total: 47.4 km border countries: Cyprus 47.4 km

Coastline:
56.3 km

Climate:
temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters

Environment - current issues:
shooting around the salt lake; note - breeding place for loggerhead
and green turtles; only remaining colony of griffon vultures is on
the base

Geography - note:
British extraterritorial rights also extended to several small
off-post sites scattered across Cyprus

People Akrotiri

Population:
no indigenous inhabitants
note: approximately 1,300 military personnel are on the base; there
are another 5,000 British citizens who are families of military
personnel or civilian staff on both Akrotiri and Dhekelia; Cyprus
citizens work on the base, but do not live there

Languages:
English, Greek

Government Akrotiri

Country name:
conventional long form: Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area
conventional short form: Akrotiri

Dependency status:
overseas territory of UK; administered by an administrator who is
also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus

Capital:
name: Episkopi Cantonment; also serves as capital of Dhekelia
geographic coordinates: 34 40 N, 32 51 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October

Constitution:
Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Order in Council
1960, effective 16 August 1960

Legal system:
the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Administrator Air Vice-Marshal Richard LACEY
(since 26 April 2006); note - reports to the British Ministry of
Defence
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the administrator is
appointed by the monarch

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (overseas territory of the UK)

Flag description:
the flag of the UK is used

Economy Akrotiri

Economy - overview:
Economic activity is limited to providing services to the military
and their families located in Akrotiri. All food and manufactured
goods must be imported.

Communications Akrotiri

Radio broadcast stations:
FM 1
note: British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides Radio 1
and Radio 2 service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia (2006)

Television broadcast stations:
British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides multi-channel
satellite service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia (2006)

Military Akrotiri

Military - note:
Akrotiri has a full RAF base, Headquarters for British Forces on
Cyprus, and Episkopi Support Unit

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

@Albania

Introduction Albania

Background:
Between 1990 and 1992 Albania ended 46 years of xenophobic
Communist rule and established a multiparty democracy. The
transition has proven challenging as successive governments have
tried to deal with high unemployment, widespread corruption, a
dilapidated physical infrastructure, powerful organized crime
networks, and combative political opponents. Albania has made
progress in its democratic development since first holding
multiparty elections in 1991, but deficiencies remain. International
observers judged elections to be largely free and fair since the
restoration of political stability following the collapse of pyramid
schemes in 1997. In the 2005 general elections, the Democratic Party
and its allies won a decisive victory on pledges of reducing crime
and corruption, promoting economic growth, and decreasing the size
of government. The election, and particularly the orderly transition
of power, was considered an important step forward. Although
Albania's economy continues to grow, the country is still one of the
poorest in Europe, hampered by a large informal economy and an
inadequate energy and transportation infrastructure. Albania has
played a largely helpful role in managing inter-ethnic tensions in
southeastern Europe, and is continuing to work toward joining NATO
and the EU. Albania, with troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, has been a
strong supporter of the global war on terrorism.

Geography Albania

Location:
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea,
between Greece and Serbia and Montenegro

Geographic coordinates:
41 00 N, 20 00 E

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 28,748 sq km
land: 27,398 sq km
water: 1,350 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries:
total: 720 km
border countries: Greece 282 km, Macedonia 151 km, Montenegro 172
km, Serbia 115 km

Coastline:
362 km

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

Climate:
mild temperate; cool, cloudy, wet winters; hot, clear, dry summers;
interior is cooler and wetter

Terrain:
mostly mountains and hills; small plains along coast

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
highest point: Maja e Korabit (Golem Korab) 2,764 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, coal, bauxite, chromite, copper, iron ore,
nickel, salt, timber, hydropower

Land use: arable land: 20.1% permanent crops: 4.21% other: 75.69% (2005)

Irrigated land:
3,530 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
destructive earthquakes; tsunamis occur along southwestern coast;
floods; drought

Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution from industrial and
domestic effluents

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

Geography - note:
strategic location along Strait of Otranto (links Adriatic Sea to
Ionian Sea and Mediterranean Sea)

People Albania

Population:
3,581,655 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 24.8% (male 464,954/female 423,003)
15-64 years: 66.3% (male 1,214,942/female 1,158,562)
65 years and over: 8.9% (male 148,028/female 172,166) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 28.9 years
male: 28.3 years
female: 29.5 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.52% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
15.11 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
5.22 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
-4.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.1 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 20.75 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 21.2 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 20.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.43 years
male: 74.78 years
female: 80.34 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.03 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Albanian(s)
adjective: Albanian

Ethnic groups:
Albanian 95%, Greek 3%, other 2% (Vlach, Roma (Gypsy), Serb,
Macedonian, Bulgarian) (1989 est.)
note: in 1989, other estimates of the Greek population ranged from
1% (official Albanian statistics) to 12% (from a Greek organization)

Religions:
Muslim 70%, Albanian Orthodox 20%, Roman Catholic 10%
note: percentages are estimates; there are no available current
statistics on religious affiliation; all mosques and churches were
closed in 1967 and religious observances prohibited; in November
1990, Albania began allowing private religious practice

Languages:
Albanian (official - derived from Tosk dialect), Greek, Vlach,
Romani, Slavic dialects

Literacy:
definition: age 9 and over can read and write
total population: 86.5%
male: 93.3%
female: 79.5% (2003 est.)

Government Albania

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Albania
conventional short form: Albania
local long form: Republika e Shqiperise
local short form: Shqiperia
former: People's Socialist Republic of Albania

Government type:
emerging democracy

Capital:
name: Tirana (Tirane)
geographic coordinates: 41 20 N, 19 50 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
12 counties (qarqe, singular - qark); Qarku i Beratit, Qarku i
Dibres, Qarku i Durresit, Qarku i Elbasanit, Qarku i Fierit, Qarku i
Gjirokastres, Qarku i Korces, Qarku i Kukesit, Qarku i Lezhes, Qarku
i Shkodres, Qarku i Tiranes, Qarku i Vlores

Independence:
28 November 1912 (from Ottoman Empire)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 28 November (1912)

Constitution:
adopted by popular referendum on 28 November 1998

Legal system:
has a civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction; has accepted jurisdiction of the International
Criminal Court for its citizens

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President of the Republic Alfred MOISIU (since 24
July 2002)
head of government: Prime Minister Sali BERISHA (since 10 September
2005)
cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister,
nominated by the president, and approved by parliament
elections: president elected by the People's Assembly for a
five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 24
June 2002 (next to be held June 2007); prime minister appointed by
the president
election results: Alfred MOISIU elected president; People's Assembly
vote by number - total votes 116, for 97, against 19

Legislative branch:
unicameral Assembly or Kuvendi (140 seats; 100 are elected by
direct popular vote and 40 by proportional vote for four-year terms)
elections: last held 3 July 2005 (next to be held in 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PD
56, PS 42, PR 11, PSD 7, LSI 5, other 19

Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court, Supreme Court (chairman is elected by the
People's Assembly for a four-year term), and multiple appeals and
district courts

Political parties and leaders:
Agrarian Environmentalist Party or PAA [Lufter XHUVELI]; Christian
Democratic Party or PDK [Nikolle LESI]; Communist Party of Albania
or PKSH [Hysni MILLOSHI]; Democratic Alliance Party or DAP [Neritan
CEKA]; Democratic Party or PD [Sali BERISHA]; Legality Movement
Party or PLL [Ekrem SPAHIU]; Liberal Union Party or PBL [Arjan
STAROVA]; National Front Party (Balli Kombetar) or BNK [Adriatik
ALIMADHI]; New Democratic Party or PDR [Genc POLLO]; Party of
National Unity or PUK [Idajet BEQIRI]; Renewed Democratic Party or
PDRN [Dashamir SHEHI]; Republican Party or PR [Fatmir MEDIU]; Social
Democracy Party or PDS [Paskal MILO]; Social Democratic Party or PSD
[Skender GJINUSHI]; Socialist Movement for Integration or LSI [Ilir
META]; Socialist Party or PS [Edi RAMA]; Union for Human Rights
Party or PBDNj [Vangjel DULE]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Citizens Advocacy Office [Kreshnik SPAHIU]; Confederation of Trade
Unions of Albania or KSSH [Kastriot MUCO]; Front for Albanian
National Unification or FBKSH [Gafur ADILI]; Mjaft Movement [Erion
VELIAJ]; Omonia [Jani JANI]; Union of Independent Trade Unions of
Albania or BSPSH [Gezim KALAJA]

International organization participation:
BSEC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, OIC, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PFP,
SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOMIG, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Aleksander SALLABANDA
chancery: 2100 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: (202) 223-4942
FAX: (202) 628-7342

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Marcie B. RIES
embassy: Rruga e Elbasanit, Labinoti #103, Tirana
mailing address: US Department of State, 9510 Tirana Place, Dulles,
VA 20189-9510
telephone: (4) 247285
FAX: (4) 232222

Flag description:
red with a black two-headed eagle in the center

Economy Albania

Economy - overview:
Lagging behind its Balkan neighbors, Albania is making the
difficult transition to a more modern open-market economy. The
government has taken measures to curb violent crime and to spur
economic activity and trade. The economy is bolstered by annual
remittances from abroad of $600-$800 million, mostly from Greece and
Italy; this helps offset the towering trade deficit. Agriculture,
which accounts for about one-quarter of GDP, is held back because of
frequent drought and the need to modernize equipment, to clarify
property rights, and to consolidate small plots of land. Energy
shortages and antiquated and inadequate infrastructure contribute to
Albania's poor business environment, which make it difficult to
attract and sustain foreign investment. The planned construction of
a new thermal power plant near Vlore and improved transmission and
distribution facilities will help relieve the energy shortages.
Also, the government is moving slowly to improve the poor national
road and rail network, a long-standing barrier to sustained economic
growth. On the positive side: growth was strong in 2003-05 and
inflation is not a problem.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$18.87 billion
note: Albania has a large gray economy that may be as large as 50%
of official GDP (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$8.657 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
5.5% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$5,300 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 23.2% industry: 18.8% services: 57.9% (2005 est.)

Labor force: 1.09 million (not including 352,000 emigrant workers) (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 58% industry: 19% services: 23% (2004 est.)

Unemployment rate:
14.3% official rate, but may exceed 30% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:
25% (2004 est.)

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

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
28.2 (2002)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.4% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
22.4% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $1.96 billion
expenditures: $2.377 billion; including capital expenditures of $500
million (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
wheat, corn, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, sugar beets, grapes;
meat, dairy products

Industries:
food processing, textiles and clothing; lumber, oil, cement,
chemicals, mining, basic metals, hydropower

Industrial production growth rate:
3.1% (2004 est.)

Electricity - production:
5.68 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 2.9% hydro: 97.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
6.76 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
200 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
1.08 billion kWh (2004 est.)

Oil - production:
3,600 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:
25,200 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - imports:
21,600 bbl/day (2005 est.)

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

Natural gas - production:
30 million cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
30 million cu m (2003 est.)

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

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

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

Current account balance:
$-416 million (2005 est.)

Exports:
$650.1 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
textiles and footwear; asphalt, metals and metallic ores, crude
oil; vegetables, fruits, tobacco

Exports - partners:
Italy 72.4%, Greece 10.5%, Serbia and Montenegro 5% (2005)

Imports:
$2.473 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, textiles, chemicals

Imports - partners:
Italy 29.3%, Greece 16.4%, Turkey 7.5%, China 6.6%, Germany 5.4%,
Russia 4% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$1.461 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
$1.55 billion (2004)

Economic aid - recipient:
ODA: $366 million (top donors were Italy, EU, Germany) (2003 est.)

Currency (code):
lek (ALL)

Currency code:
ALL

Exchange rates:
leke per US dollar - 102.649 (2005), 102.78 (2004), 121.863 (2003),
140.155 (2002), 143.485 (2001)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Albania

Telephones - main lines in use:
255,000 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.259 million (2004)

Telephone system:
general assessment: despite new investment in fixed lines, the
density of main lines remains the lowest in Europe with roughly
seven lines per 100 people; however, cellular telephone use is
widespread and generally effective
domestic: offsetting the shortage of fixed line capacity, mobile
phone service has been available since 1996; by 2003 two companies
were providing mobile services at a greater density than some of
Albania's Balkan neighbors
international: country code - 355; inadequate fixed main lines;
adequate cellular connections; international traffic carried by
fiber optic cable and, when necessary, by microwave radio relay from
the Tirana exchange to Italy and Greece (2003)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 13, FM 46 (3 national, 62 local), shortwave 1 (2005)

Radios:
1 million (2001)

Television broadcast stations:
65 (3 national, 62 local); note - 2 cable networks (2005)

Televisions:
700,000 (2001)

Internet country code:
.al

Internet hosts:
430 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
10 (2001)

Internet users:
75,000 (2005)

Transportation Albania

Airports: 11 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 8 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 4 (2006)

Heliports:
1 (2006)

Pipelines:
gas 339 km; oil 207 km (2006)

Railways: total: 447 km standard gauge: 447 km 1.435-m gauge (2005)

Roadways: total: 18,000 km paved: 7,020 km unpaved: 10,980 km (2002)

Waterways:
43 km (2006)

Merchant marine:
total: 24 ships (1000 GRT or over) 52,987 GRT/79,863 DWT
by type: cargo 23, roll on/roll off 1
foreign-owned: 1 (Turkey 1)
registered in other countries: 1 (Georgia 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Durres, Sarande, Shengjin, Vlore

Military Albania

Military branches:
General Staff Headquarters, Land Forces Command (Army), Naval
Forces Command, Air Defense Command, Logistics Command, Training and
Doctrine Command

Military service age and obligation:
19 years of age (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 19-49: 809,524
females age 19-49: 784,199 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 19-49: 668,526
females age 19-49: 648,334 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 37,407
females age 19-49: 34,587 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$56.5 million (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.49% (FY02)

Transnational Issues Albania

Disputes - international:
the Albanian Government calls for the protection of the rights of
ethnic Albanians in neighboring countries, and the peaceful
resolution of interethnic disputes; some ethnic Albanian groups in
neighboring countries advocate for a "greater Albania," but the idea
has little appeal among Albanian nationals; thousands of unemployed
Albanians emigrate annually to nearby Italy and other developed
countries

Illicit drugs:
increasingly active transshipment point for Southwest Asian
opiates, hashish, and cannabis transiting the Balkan route and - to
a far lesser extent - cocaine from South America destined for
Western Europe; limited opium and growing cannabis production;
ethnic Albanian narcotrafficking organizations active and expanding
in Europe; vulnerable to money laundering associated with regional
trafficking in narcotics, arms, contraband, and illegal aliens

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

@Algeria

Introduction Algeria

Background:
After more than a century of rule by France, Algerians fought
through much of the 1950s to achieve independence in 1962. Algeria's
primary political party, the National Liberation Front (FLN), has
dominated politics ever since. Many Algerians in the subsequent
generation were not satisfied, however, and moved to counter the
FLN's centrality in Algerian politics. The surprising first round
success of the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) in the December 1991
balloting spurred the Algerian army to intervene and postpone the
second round of elections to prevent what the secular elite feared
would be an extremist-led government from assuming power. The army
began a crack down on the FIS that spurred FIS supporters to begin
attacking government targets. The government later allowed elections
featuring pro-government and moderate religious-based parties, but
did not appease the activists who progressively widened their
attacks. The fighting escalated into an insurgency, which saw
intense fighting between 1992-98 and which resulted in over 100,000
deaths - many attributed to indiscriminate massacres of villagers by
extremists. The government gained the upper hand by the late-1990s
and FIS's armed wing, the Islamic Salvation Army, disbanded in
January 2000. However, small numbers of armed militants persist in
confronting government forces and conducting ambushes and occasional
attacks on villages. The army placed Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA in the
presidency in 1999 in a fraudulent election but claimed neutrality
in his 2004 landslide reelection victory. Longstanding problems
continue to face BOUTEFLIKA in his second term, including the ethnic
minority Berbers' ongoing autonomy campaign, large-scale
unemployment, a shortage of housing, unreliable electrical and water
supplies, government inefficiencies and corruption, and the
continuing - although significantly degraded - activities of
extremist militants. Algeria must also diversify its petroleum-based
economy, which has yielded a large cash reserve but which has not
been used to redress Algeria's many social and infrastructure
problems.

Geography Algeria

Location:
Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Morocco
and Tunisia

Geographic coordinates:
28 00 N, 3 00 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 2,381,740 sq km
land: 2,381,740 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Texas

Land boundaries:
total: 6,343 km
border countries: Libya 982 km, Mali 1,376 km, Mauritania 463 km,
Morocco 1,559 km, Niger 956 km, Tunisia 965 km, Western Sahara 42 km

Coastline:
998 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 32-52 nm

Climate:
arid to semiarid; mild, wet winters with hot, dry summers along
coast; drier with cold winters and hot summers on high plateau;
sirocco is a hot, dust/sand-laden wind especially common in summer

Terrain:
mostly high plateau and desert; some mountains; narrow,
discontinuous coastal plain

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Chott Melrhir -40 m
highest point: Tahat 3,003 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc

Land use: arable land: 3.17% permanent crops: 0.28% other: 96.55% (2005)

Irrigated land:
5,690 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
mountainous areas subject to severe earthquakes; mudslides and
floods in rainy season

Environment - current issues:
soil erosion from overgrazing and other poor farming practices;
desertification; dumping of raw sewage, petroleum refining wastes,
and other industrial effluents is leading to the pollution of rivers
and coastal waters; Mediterranean Sea, in particular, becoming
polluted from oil wastes, soil erosion, and fertilizer runoff;
inadequate supplies of potable water

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

Geography - note: second-largest country in Africa (after Sudan)

People Algeria

Population:
32,930,091 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 28.1% (male 4,722,076/female 4,539,713)
15-64 years: 67.1% (male 11,133,802/female 10,964,502)
65 years and over: 4.8% (male 735,444/female 834,554) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 24.9 years
male: 24.7 years
female: 25.1 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.22% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
17.14 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
4.61 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
-0.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 29.87 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 33.62 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 25.94 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.26 years
male: 71.68 years
female: 74.92 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.89 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% ; note - no country specific models provided (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
9,100 (2003 est.)

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

Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: cutaneous leishmaniasis is a high risk in some
locations (2005)

Nationality:
noun: Algerian(s)
adjective: Algerian

Ethnic groups:
Arab-Berber 99%, European less than 1%
note: almost all Algerians are Berber in origin, not Arab; the
minority who identify themselves as Berber live mostly in the
mountainous region of Kabylie east of Algiers; the Berbers are also
Muslim but identify with their Berber rather than Arab cultural
heritage; Berbers have long agitated, sometimes violently, for
autonomy; the government is unlikely to grant autonomy but has
offered to begin sponsoring teaching Berber language in schools

Religions:
Sunni Muslim (state religion) 99%, Christian and Jewish 1%

Languages:
Arabic (official), French, Berber dialects

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 70%
male: 78.8%
female: 61% (2003 est.)

Government Algeria

Country name:
conventional long form: People's Democratic Republic of Algeria
conventional short form: Algeria
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Jaza'iriyah ad Dimuqratiyah ash
Sha'biyah
local short form: Al Jaza'ir

Government type:
republic

Capital:
name: Algiers
geographic coordinates: 36 47 N, 2 03 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
48 provinces (wilayat, singular - wilaya); Adrar, Ain Defla, Ain
Temouchent, Alger, Annaba, Batna, Bechar, Bejaia, Biskra, Blida,
Bordj Bou Arreridj, Bouira, Boumerdes, Chlef, Constantine, Djelfa,
El Bayadh, El Oued, El Tarf, Ghardaia, Guelma, Illizi, Jijel,
Khenchela, Laghouat, Mascara, Medea, Mila, Mostaganem, M'Sila,
Naama, Oran, Ouargla, Oum el Bouaghi, Relizane, Saida, Setif, Sidi
Bel Abbes, Skikda, Souk Ahras, Tamanghasset, Tebessa, Tiaret,
Tindouf, Tipaza, Tissemsilt, Tizi Ouzou, Tlemcen

Independence:
5 July 1962 (from France)

National holiday:
Revolution Day, 1 November (1954)

Constitution:
8 September 1963; revised 19 November 1976, effective 22 November
1976; revised 3 November 1988, 23 February 1989, and 28 November 1996

Legal system:
socialist, based on French and Islamic law; judicial review of
legislative acts in ad hoc Constitutional Council composed of
various public officials, including several Supreme Court justices;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA (since 28 April 1999)
head of government: Prime Minister Abdelaziz BELKHADEM
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held 8 April 2004 (next
to be held in April 2009); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA reelected president for
second term; percent of vote - Abdelaziz BOUTEFLIKA 85%, Ali BENFLIS
6.4%, Abdellah DJABALLAH 5%

Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consisting of the National People's Assembly
or Al-Majlis Ech-Chaabi Al-Watani (389 seats - formerly 380 seats;
members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the
Council of Nations (Senate) (144 seats; one-third of the members
appointed by the president, two-thirds elected by indirect vote;
members serve six-year terms; the constitution requires half the
council to be renewed every three years)
elections: National People's Assembly - last held 30 May 2002 (next
to be held in 2007); Council of Nations (Senate) - last held 30
December 2003 (next to be held in 2006)
election results: National People's Assembly - percent of vote by
party - NA; seats by party - FLN 199, RND 47, Islah 43, MSP 38, PT
21, FNA 8, EnNahda 1, PRA 1, MEN 1, independents 30; Council of
Nations - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party NA

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders:
Algerian National Front or FNA [Moussa TOUATI]; National Democratic
Rally (Rassemblement National Democratique) or RND [Ahmed OUYAHIA,
secretary general]; Islamic Salvation Front or FIS (outlawed April
1992) [Ali BELHADJ, Dr. Abassi MADANI, Rabeh KEBIR]; National
Entente Movement or MEN [Ali BOUKHAZNA]; National Liberation Front
or FLN [Abdelaziz BELKHADEM, secretary general]; National Reform
Movement or Islah (formerly MRN) [Abdellah DJABALLAH]; National
Renewal Party or PRA [Yacine TERKMANE]; Progressive Republican Party
[Khadir DRISS]; Rally for Culture and Democracy or RCD [Said SADI];
Renaissance Movement or EnNahda Movement [Fatah RABEI]; Socialist
Forces Front or FFS [Hocine Ait AHMED, secretary general]; Social
Liberal Party or PSL [Ahmed KHELIL]; Society of Peace Movement or
MSP [Boudjerra SOLTANI]; Workers Party or PT [Louisa HANOUN]
note: a law banning political parties based on religion was enacted
in March 1997

Political pressure groups and leaders:
The Algerian Human Rights League or LADH or LADDH [Yahia Ali
ABDENOUR]; SOS Disparus [Nacera DUTOUR]; Somoud [Ali MERABET]

International organization participation:
ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, BIS, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS,
MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, ONUB, OPCW, OPEC, OSCE
(partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU, WCO, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Amine KHERBI chancery: 2118 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 265-2800 FAX: (202) 667-2174

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Robert S. FORD embassy: 04 Chemin Cheikh Bachir Ibrahimi El-Biar 16030, Algiers mailing address: B. P. 408, Alger-Gare, 16030 Algiers telephone: (021) 69-12-55 FAX: (021) 69-39-79

Flag description:
two equal vertical bands of green (hoist side) and white; a red,
five-pointed star within a red crescent centered over the two-color
boundary; the crescent, star, and color green are traditional
symbols of Islam (the state religion)

Economy Algeria

Economy - overview:
The hydrocarbons sector is the backbone of the economy, accounting
for roughly 60% of budget revenues, 30% of GDP, and over 95% of
export earnings. Algeria has the seventh-largest reserves of natural
gas in the world and is the second-largest gas exporter; it ranks
14th in oil reserves. Sustained high oil prices in recent years,
along with macroeconomic policy reforms supported by the IMF, have
helped improve Algeria's financial and macroeconomic indicators.
Algeria is running substantial trade surpluses and building up
record foreign exchange reserves. Real GDP has risen due to higher
oil output and increased government spending. The government's
continued efforts to diversify the economy by attracting foreign and
domestic investment outside the energy sector, however, has had
little success in reducing high unemployment and improving living
standards. The population is becoming increasingly restive due to
the lack of jobs and housing and frequently stages protests, which
have resulted in arrests and injuries, including some deaths as
government forces intervened to restore order. Structural reform
within the economy, such as development of the banking sector and
the construction of infrastructure, moves ahead slowly hampered by
corruption and bureaucratic resistance.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$235.5 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$85.31 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
5.5% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$7,200 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 10.1% industry: 60% services: 29.8% (2005 est.)

Labor force: 10.15 million (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 14%, industry 13.4%, construction and public works 10%, trade 14.6%, government 32%, other 16% (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate:
17.1% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:
25% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.8% highest 10%: 26.8% (1995)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
35.3 (1995)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.9% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
22.6% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $42.05 billion
expenditures: $30.75 billion; including capital expenditures of $5.8
billion (2005 est.)

Public debt:
30.2% of GDP (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
wheat, barley, oats, grapes, olives, citrus, fruits; sheep, cattle

Industries:
petroleum, natural gas, light industries, mining, electrical,
petrochemical, food processing

Industrial production growth rate:
8% (2005 est.)

Electricity - production:
26.99 billion kWh (2003 est.)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 99.7% hydro: 0.3% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
24.9 billion kWh (2003 est.)

Electricity - exports:
400 million kWh (2003 est.)

Electricity - imports:
200 million kWh (2003 est.)

Oil - production:
1.373 million bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:
246,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports:
1.127 million bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - imports:
0 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - proved reserves:
12.46 billion bbl (2005 est.)

Natural gas - production:
82.4 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
21.32 billion cu m (2003 est.)

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

Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
4.531 trillion cu m (2005)

Current account balance:
$18.79 billion (2005 est.)

Exports:
$49.59 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
petroleum, natural gas, and petroleum products 97%

Exports - partners:
US 22.8%, Italy 16.2%, Spain 10.4%, France 10%, Canada 8%, Brazil
6.1%, Belgium 4.4%, Germany 4.2% (2005)

Imports:
$22.53 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods

Imports - partners:
France 28.2%, Italy 7.8%, Spain 7.1%, China 6.6%, Germany 6.3%, US
5.5% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$56.58 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
$19.45 billion (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$122.8 million (2002 est.)

Currency (code):
Algerian dinar (DZD)

Currency code:
DZD

Exchange rates:
Algerian dinars per US dollar - 73.276 (2005), 72.061 (2004),
77.395 (2003), 79.682 (2002), 77.215 (2001)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Algeria

Telephones - main lines in use:
2.572 million (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
13.661 million (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: telephone density in Algeria is very low, not
exceeding five telephones per 100 persons; the number of fixed main
lines increased in the last few years to nearly 2.6 million, but
only about two-thirds of these have subscribers; much of the
infrastructure is outdated and inefficient
domestic: good service in north but sparse in south; domestic
satellite system with 12 earth stations (20 additional domestic
earth stations are planned)
international: country code - 213; submarine cables - 5; microwave
radio relay to Italy, France, Spain, Morocco, and Tunisia; coaxial
cable to Morocco and Tunisia; participant in Medarabtel; satellite
earth stations - 51 (Intelsat, Intersputnik, and Arabsat) (2005)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 25, FM 1, shortwave 8 (1999)

Radios:
7.1 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
46 (plus 216 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions:
3.1 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.dz

Internet hosts:
1,202 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2000)

Internet users:
1.92 million (2005)

Transportation Algeria

Airports: 142 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 52 over 3,047 m: 10 2,438 to 3,047 m: 27 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 90 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 26 914 to 1,523 m: 39 under 914 m: 23 (2006)

Heliports:
1 (2006)

Pipelines:
condensate 1,344 km; gas 85,946 km; liquid petroleum gas 2,213 km;
oil 6,496 km (2005)

Railways:
total: 3,973 km
standard gauge: 2,888 km 1.435-m gauge (283 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 1,085 km 1.055-m gauge (2005)

Roadways:
total: 104,000 km
paved: 71,656 km
unpaved: 32,344 km (1999)

Merchant marine:
total: 41 ships (1000 GRT or over) 744,406 GRT/766,764 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 7, cargo 10, chemical tanker 2, liquefied gas
9, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 5, roll on/roll off 3,
specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned: 13 (UK 13) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Algiers, Annaba, Arzew, Bejaia, Djendjene, Jijel, Mostaganem, Oran,
Skikda

Military Algeria

Military branches:
National Popular Army (ANP; includes Land Forces), Algerian
National Navy (MRA), Air Force (QJJ), Territorial Air Defense Force
(2005)

Military service age and obligation:
19-30 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript
service obligation - 18 months (6 months basic training, 12 months
civil projects) (2006)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 19-49: 8,033,049
females age 19-49: 7,926,351 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 19-49: 6,590,079
females age 19-49: 6,711,285 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 374,639
females age 19-49: 369,021 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$3 billion (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
3.2% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Algeria

Disputes - international:
Algeria supports the exiled Sahrawi Polisario Front and rejects
Moroccan administration of Western Sahara; most of the approximately
102,000 Western Saharan Sahrawi refugees are sheltered in camps in
Tindouf, Algeria; Algeria's border with Morocco remains an irritant
to bilateral relations, each nation accusing the other of harboring
militants and arms smuggling; in an attempt to improve relations,
Morocco, in mid-2004, unilaterally lifted the requirement that
Algerians visiting Morocco possess entry visas - a gesture not
reciprocated by Algeria; Algeria remains concerned about armed
bandits operating throughout the Sahel who sometimes destabilize
southern Algerian towns; dormant disputes include Libyan claims of
about 32,000 sq km still reflected on its maps of southeastern
Algeria and the FLN's assertions of a claim to Chirac Pastures in
southeastern Morocco

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 102,000 (Western Saharan Sahrawi,
mostly living in Algerian-sponsored camps in the southwestern
Algerian town of Tindouf)
IDPs: 400,000-600,000 (conflict between government forces, Islamic
insurgents) (2005)

Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Algeria is a transit and destination country for
men, women, and children from sub-Saharan Africa and Asia trafficked
for forced labor and sexual exploitation; many victims willingly
migrate to Algeria en route to European countries with the help of
smugglers, where they are often forced into prostitution, labor, and
begging to pay off their smuggling debt; armed militants reportedly
traffic women for sexual exploitation and involuntary servitude, and
children may be trafficked for forced labor as domestic servants or
street vendors
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Algeria took no steps to assess the
scope of trafficking in the country and reported no investigations
or prosecutions for trafficking offenses this year

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

@American Samoa

Introduction American Samoa

Background:
Settled as early as 1000 B.C., Samoa was "discovered" by European
explorers in the 18th century. International rivalries in the latter
half of the 19th century were settled by an 1899 treaty in which
Germany and the US divided the Samoan archipelago. The US formally
occupied its portion - a smaller group of eastern islands with the
excellent harbor of Pago Pago - the following year.

Geography American Samoa

Location:
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about half
way between Hawaii and New Zealand

Geographic coordinates:
14 20 S, 170 00 W

Map references:
Oceania

Area:
total: 199 sq km
land: 199 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Rose Island and Swains Island

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
116 km

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

Climate:
tropical marine, moderated by southeast trade winds; annual
rainfall averages about 3 m; rainy season (November to April), dry
season (May to October); little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain:
five volcanic islands with rugged peaks and limited coastal plains,
two coral atolls (Rose Island, Swains Island)

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Lata Mountain 964 m

Natural resources:
pumice, pumicite

Land use:
arable land: 10%
permanent crops: 15%
other: 75% (2005)

Irrigated land:
NA

Natural hazards:
typhoons common from December to March

Environment - current issues:
limited natural fresh water resources; the water division of the
government has spent substantial funds in the past few years to
improve water catchments and pipelines

Geography - note:
Pago Pago has one of the best natural deepwater harbors in the
South Pacific Ocean, sheltered by shape from rough seas and
protected by peripheral mountains from high winds; strategic
location in the South Pacific Ocean

People American Samoa

Population:
57,794 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 34.7% (male 10,388/female 9,654)
15-64 years: 62.4% (male 18,698/female 17,350)
65 years and over: 2.9% (male 633/female 1,071) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 23.2 years
male: 22.9 years
female: 23.4 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
-0.19% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
22.46 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
3.27 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
-21.11 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female
total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 9.07 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 9.66 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 8.45 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.05 years
male: 72.48 years
female: 79.82 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
3.16 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: American Samoan(s) (US nationals)
adjective: American Samoan

Ethnic groups:
native Pacific islander 92.9%, Asian 2.9%, white 1.2%, mixed 2.8%,
other 0.2% (2000 census)

Religions:
Christian Congregationalist 50%, Roman Catholic 20%, Protestant and
other 30%

Languages:
Samoan 90.6% (closely related to Hawaiian and other Polynesian
languages), English 2.9%, Tongan 2.4%, other Pacific islander 2.1%,
other 2%
note: most people are bilingual (2000 census)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97%
male: 98%
female: 97% (1980 est.)

Government American Samoa

Country name:
conventional long form: Territory of American Samoa
conventional short form: American Samoa
abbreviation: AS

Dependency status:
unincorporated and unorganized territory of the US; administered by
the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior

Government type:
NA

Capital:
name: Pago Pago
geographic coordinates: 14 16 S, 170 42 W
time difference: UTC-11 (6 hours behind Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
none (territory of the US); there are no first-order administrative
divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are three
districts and two islands* at the second order; Eastern, Manu'a,
Rose Island*, Swains Island*, Western

Independence:
none (territory of the US)

National holiday:
Flag Day, 17 April (1900)

Constitution:
ratified 2 June 1966, effective 1 July 1967

Legal system:
NA

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20
January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January
2001)
head of government: Governor Togiola TULAFONO (since 7 April 2003)
cabinet: Cabinet made up of 12 department directors
elections: under the US Consitution, residents of unincorporated
territories, such as American Samoa, do not vote in elections for US
president and vice president; governor and lieutenant governor
elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms
(eligible for a second term); election last held 2 and 16 November
2004 (next to be held November 2008)
election results: Togiola TULAFONO elected governor; percent of vote
- Togiola TULAFONO 55.7%, Afoa Moega LUTU 44.3%

Legislative branch:
bicameral Fono or Legislative Assembly consists of the House of
Representatives (21 seats - 20 of which are elected by popular vote
and 1 is an appointed, nonvoting delegate from Swains Island;
members serve two-year terms) and the Senate (18 seats; members are
elected from local chiefs and serve four-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 7 November 2006
(next to be held November 2008); Senate - last held 2 November 2004
(next to be held November 2008)
election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by
party - NA; seats by party - NA; Senate - percent of vote by party -
NA; seats by party - independents 18
note: American Samoa elects one nonvoting representative to the US
House of Representatives; election last held 7 November 2006 (next
to be held November 2008); results - Eni F. H. FALEOMAVAEGA
(Democrat) reelected as delegate

Judicial branch:
High Court (chief justice and associate justices are appointed by
the US Secretary of the Interior)

Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party [Oreta M. TOGAFAU]; Republican Party [Tautai A. F.
FAALEVAO]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
Interpol (subbureau), IOC, SPC, UPU

Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (territory of the US)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (territory of the US)

Flag description:
blue, with a white triangle edged in red that is based on the outer
side and extends to the hoist side; a brown and white American bald
eagle flying toward the hoist side is carrying two traditional
Samoan symbols of authority, a staff and a war club

Economy American Samoa

Economy - overview:
American Samoa has a traditional Polynesian economy in which more
than 90% of the land is communally owned. Economic activity is
strongly linked to the US with which American Samoa conducts most of
its foreign trade. Tuna fishing and tuna processing plants are the
backbone of the private sector, with canned tuna the primary export.
Transfers from the US Government add substantially to American
Samoa's economic well being. Attempts by the government to develop a
larger and broader economy are restrained by Samoa's remote
location, its limited transportation, and its devastating
hurricanes. Tourism is a promising developing sector.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$510.1 million (2003 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$333.8 million

GDP - real growth rate:
3% NA%

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$5,800 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

Labor force: 17,630 (2005)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 34% industry: 33% services: 33% (1990)

Unemployment rate:
29.8% (2005)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
NA%

Budget:
revenues: $121 million (37% in local revenue and 63% in US grants)
expenditures: $127 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
(FY96/97)

Agriculture - products:
bananas, coconuts, vegetables, taro, breadfruit, yams, copra,
pineapples, papayas; dairy products, livestock

Industries:
tuna canneries (largely supplied by foreign fishing vessels),
handicrafts

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
130 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
120.9 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2003)

Oil - consumption:
4,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day

Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2003 est.)

Exports:
$445.6 million (FY04 est.)

Exports - commodities:
canned tuna 93% (2004 est.)

Exports - partners:
Indonesia 28.2%, India 22.3%, Australia 15.3%, Japan 11.2%, NZ 7.1%
(2005)

Imports:
$308.8 million (FY04 est.)

Imports - commodities:
materials for canneries 56%, food 8%, petroleum products 7%,
machinery and parts 6% (2004 est.)

Imports - partners:
Australia 66%, Samoa 13.8%, NZ 10.8% (2005)

Debt - external:
$NA

Economic aid - recipient:
important financial support from the US, more than $40 million in
1994

Currency (code):
US dollar (USD)

Currency code:
USD

Exchange rates:
the US dollar is used

Fiscal year:
1 October - 30 September

Communications American Samoa

Telephones - main lines in use:
15,000 (2001)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
2,377 (1999)

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: good telex, telegraph, facsimile and cellular telephone
services; domestic satellite system with 1 Comsat earth station
international: country code - 684; satellite earth station - 1
(Intelsat-Pacific Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 (2006)

Radios:
57,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
1 (Low Power TV); note - one cable TV station (2006)

Televisions:
14,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.as

Internet hosts:
1,456 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
NA

Transportation American Samoa

Airports: 3 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 2 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Roadways:
total: 185 km (2004)

Ports and terminals:
Pago Pago

Military American Samoa

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the US

Transnational Issues American Samoa

Disputes - international: none

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

@Andorra

Introduction Andorra

Background:
For 715 years, from 1278 to 1993, Andorrans lived under a unique
co-principality, ruled by French and Spanish leaders (from 1607
onward, the French chief of state and the Spanish bishop of Urgel).
In 1993, this feudal system was modified with the titular heads of
state retained, but the government transformed into a parliamentary
democracy. Long isolated and impoverished, mountainous Andorra
achieved considerable prosperity since World War II through its
tourist industry. Many immigrants (legal and illegal) are attracted
to the thriving economy with its lack of income taxes.

Geography Andorra

Location:
Southwestern Europe, between France and Spain

Geographic coordinates:
42 30 N, 1 30 E

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 468 sq km
land: 468 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: total: 120.3 km border countries: France 56.6 km, Spain 63.7 km

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
temperate; snowy, cold winters and warm, dry summers

Terrain:
rugged mountains dissected by narrow valleys

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Riu Runer 840 m highest point: Coma Pedrosa 2,946 m

Natural resources: hydropower, mineral water, timber, iron ore, lead

Land use: arable land: 2.13% permanent crops: 0% other: 97.87% (2005)

Irrigated land:
NA

Natural hazards:
avalanches

Environment - current issues:
deforestation; overgrazing of mountain meadows contributes to soil
erosion; air pollution; wastewater treatment and solid waste disposal

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Hazardous Wastes
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
landlocked; straddles a number of important crossroads in the
Pyrenees

People Andorra

Population:
71,201 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 14.7% (male 5,456/female 4,994)
15-64 years: 71.4% (male 26,632/female 24,172)
65 years and over: 14% (male 4,918/female 5,029) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 40.9 years
male: 41.2 years
female: 40.7 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.89% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
8.71 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
6.25 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
6.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.98 male(s)/female
total population: 1.08 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 4.04 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 4.38 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.68 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 83.51 years
male: 80.61 years
female: 86.61 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.3 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Andorran(s)
adjective: Andorran

Ethnic groups:
Spanish 43%, Andorran 33%, Portuguese 11%, French 7%, other 6%
(1998)

Religions:
Roman Catholic (predominant)

Languages:
Catalan (official), French, Castilian, Portuguese

Literacy: definition: NA total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100%

Government Andorra

Country name:
conventional long form: Principality of Andorra
conventional short form: Andorra
local long form: Principat d'Andorra
local short form: Andorra

Government type:
parliamentary democracy (since March 1993) that retains as its
chiefs of state a coprincipality; the two princes are the president
of France and bishop of Seo de Urgel, Spain, who are represented
locally by coprinces' representatives

Capital:
name: Andorra la Vella
geographic coordinates: 42 30 N, 1 30 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
7 parishes (parroquies, singular - parroquia); Andorra la Vella,
Canillo, Encamp, Escaldes-Engordany, La Massana, Ordino, Sant Julia
de Loria

Independence:
1278 (formed under the joint suzerainty of the French count of Foix
and the Spanish bishop of Urgel)

National holiday:
Our Lady of Meritxell Day, 8 September (1278)

Constitution:
Andorra's first written constitution was drafted in 1991, approved
by referendum 14 March 1993, effective 4 May 1993

Legal system:
based on French and Spanish civil codes; no judicial review of
legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: French Coprince Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995),
represented by Philippe MASSONI (since 26 July 2002); Spanish
Coprince Bishop Joan Enric VIVES i SICILIA (since 12 May 2003),
represented by Nemesi MARQUES i OSTE (since NA)
head of government: Executive Council President Albert PINTAT
SANTOLARIA (since 27 May 2005)
cabinet: Executive Council or Govern designated by the Executive
Council president
elections: Executive Council president elected by the General
Council and formally appointed by the coprinces for a four-year
term; election last held 24 April 2005 (next to be held April-May
2009)
election results: Albert PINTAT SANTOLARIA elected executive council
president; percent of General Council vote - NA

Legislative branch:
unicameral General Council of the Valleys or Consell General de las
Valls (28 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote, 14 from
a single national constituency and 14 to represent each of the seven
parishes; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 24 April 2005 (next to be held March-April 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - PLA 41.2%, PS 38.1%,
CDA-S21 11%, other 9.7%; seats by party - PLA 14, PS 12, CDA-S21 2

Judicial branch:
Tribunal of Judges or Tribunal de Batlles; Tribunal of the Courts
or Tribunal de Corts; Supreme Court of Justice of Andorra or
Tribunal Superior de Justicia d'Andorra; Supreme Council of Justice
or Consell Superior de la Justicia; Fiscal Ministry or Ministeri
Fiscal; Constitutional Tribunal or Tribunal Constitucional

Political parties and leaders:
Andorran Democratic Center Party or CDA (formerly Democratic Party
or PD); Century 21 or S21 [Enric TARRADO]; Liberal Party of Andorra
or PLA (formerly Liberal Union or UL) [Albert PINTAT]; Social
Democratic Party or PS (formerly part of National Democratic Group
or AND) [Jaume BARTUMEU CASSANY]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
CE, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IFRCS, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITU, OIF, OIF
(associate member), OPCW, OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WCO, WHO, WIPO,
WToO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Jelena V.
PIA-COMELLA
chancery: 2 United Nations Plaza, 25th Floor, New York, NY 10017
telephone: (212) 750-8064
FAX: (212) 750-6630

Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy in Andorra; the US Ambassador to Spain is accredited to Andorra; US interests in Andorra are represented by the Consulate General's office in Barcelona (Spain); mailing address: Paseo Reina Elisenda de Montcada, 23, 08034 Barcelona, Spain; telephone: (3) 280-2227; FAX: (3) 205-5206

Flag description:
three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red
with the national coat of arms centered in the yellow band; the coat
of arms features a quartered shield; similar to the flags of Chad
and Romania, which do not have a national coat of arms in the
center, and the flag of Moldova, which does bear a national emblem

Economy Andorra

Economy - overview:
Tourism, the mainstay of Andorra's tiny, well-to-do economy,
accounts for more than 80% of GDP. An estimated 11.6 million
tourists visit annually, attracted by Andorra's duty-free status and
by its summer and winter resorts. Andorra's comparative advantage
has recently eroded as the economies of neighboring France and Spain
have been opened up, providing broader availability of goods and
lower tariffs. The banking sector, with its partial "tax haven"
status, also contributes substantially to the economy. Agricultural
production is limited - only 2% of the land is arable - and most
food has to be imported. The principal livestock activity is sheep
raising. Manufacturing output consists mainly of cigarettes, cigars,
and furniture. Andorra is a member of the EU Customs Union and is
treated as an EU member for trade in manufactured goods (no tariffs)
and as a non-EU member for agricultural products.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$1.84 billion (2004)

GDP (official exchange rate):
NA

GDP - real growth rate:
4% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$24,000 (2004)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

Labor force: 48,740 (2004)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 0.34% industry: 19.63% services: 80.03% (2004)

Unemployment rate:
0% (1996 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.4% (2004)

Budget:
revenues: $373.5 million
expenditures: $373.5 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2004)

Agriculture - products:
small quantities of rye, wheat, barley, oats, vegetables; sheep

Industries:
tourism (particularly skiing), cattle raising, timber, banking

Industrial production growth rate:
NA%

Electricity - production:
NA kWh

Electricity - production by source:
NA

Electricity - consumption:
NA kWh

Electricity - exports:
NA kWh

Electricity - imports:
NA kWh; note - most electricity supplied by Spain and France;
Andorra generates a small amount of hydropower

Exports:
$145 million f.o.b. (2004)

Exports - commodities:
tobacco products, furniture

Exports - partners:
Spain 58%, France 34% (2004)

Imports:
$1.077 billion (1998)

Imports - commodities:
consumer goods, food, electricity

Imports - partners:
Spain 51.5%, France 22.3%, US 0.3% (2004)

Debt - external:
$NA

Economic aid - recipient:
none

Currency (code):
euro (EUR)

Currency code:
EUR

Exchange rates:
euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003),
1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Andorra

Telephones - main lines in use:
35,400 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
64,600 (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: modern system with microwave radio relay connections
between exchanges
international: country code - 376; landline circuits to France and
Spain

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 0, FM 15, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
16,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
0 (1997)

Televisions:
27,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.ad

Internet hosts:
14,944 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
21,900 (2005)

Transportation Andorra

Roadways: total: 269 km paved: 198 km unpaved: 71 km

Military Andorra

Military branches:
no regular military forces, Police Service of Andorra

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 18,418 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 14,721 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 369 (2005 est.)

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of France and Spain

Transnational Issues Andorra

Disputes - international: none

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

@Angola

Introduction Angola

Background:
Angola is slowly rebuilding its country after the end of a 27-year
civil war in 2002. Fighting between the Popular Movement for the
Liberation of Angola (MPLA), led by Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS, and the
National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), led by
Jonas SAVIMBI, followed independence from Portugal in 1975. Peace
seemed imminent in 1992 when Angola held national elections, but
UNITA renewed fighting after being beaten by the MPLA at the polls.
Up to 1.5 million lives may have been lost - and 4 million people
displaced - in the quarter century of fighting. SAVIMBI's death in
2002 ended UNITA's insurgency and strengthened the MPLA's hold on
power. DOS SANTOS has pledged to hold legislative elections in 2006.

Geography Angola

Location:
Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between
Namibia and Democratic Republic of the Congo

Geographic coordinates:
12 30 S, 18 30 E

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 1,246,700 sq km
land: 1,246,700 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Land boundaries:
total: 5,198 km
border countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo 2,511 km (of
which 225 km is the boundary of discontiguous Cabinda Province),
Republic of the Congo 201 km, Namibia 1,376 km, Zambia 1,110 km

Coastline:
1,600 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate:
semiarid in south and along coast to Luanda; north has cool, dry
season (May to October) and hot, rainy season (November to April)

Terrain:
narrow coastal plain rises abruptly to vast interior plateau

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Morro de Moco 2,620 m

Natural resources:
petroleum, diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, copper, feldspar, gold,
bauxite, uranium

Land use: arable land: 2.65% permanent crops: 0.23% other: 97.12% (2005)

Irrigated land:
800 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
locally heavy rainfall causes periodic flooding on the plateau

Environment - current issues:
overuse of pastures and subsequent soil erosion attributable to
population pressures; desertification; deforestation of tropical
rain forest, in response to both international demand for tropical
timber and to domestic use as fuel, resulting in loss of
biodiversity; soil erosion contributing to water pollution and
siltation of rivers and dams; inadequate supplies of potable water

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the
Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
the province of Cabinda is an exclave, separated from the rest of
the country by the Democratic Republic of the Congo

People Angola

Population:
12,127,071 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 43.7% (male 2,678,185/female 2,625,933)
15-64 years: 53.5% (male 3,291,954/female 3,195,688)
65 years and over: 2.8% (male 148,944/female 186,367) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 18 years
male: 18 years
female: 18 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
2.45% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
45.11 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
24.2 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
3.55 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 185.36 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 197.56 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 172.54 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 38.62 years
male: 37.47 years
female: 39.83 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
6.35 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
3.9% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
240,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
21,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases: degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria, African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) are high risks in some locations respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2005)

Nationality:
noun: Angolan(s)
adjective: Angolan

Ethnic groups:
Ovimbundu 37%, Kimbundu 25%, Bakongo 13%, mestico (mixed European
and native African) 2%, European 1%, other 22%

Religions:
indigenous beliefs 47%, Roman Catholic 38%, Protestant 15% (1998
est.)

Languages:
Portuguese (official), Bantu and other African languages

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 66.8%
male: 82.1%
female: 53.8% (2001 est.)

Government Angola

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Angola
conventional short form: Angola
local long form: Republica de Angola
local short form: Angola
former: People's Republic of Angola

Government type:
republic; multiparty presidential regime

Capital:
name: Luanda
geographic coordinates: 8 48 S, 13 14 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
18 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Bengo, Benguela,
Bie, Cabinda, Cuando Cubango, Cuanza Norte, Cuanza Sul, Cunene,
Huambo, Huila, Luanda, Lunda Norte, Lunda Sul, Malanje, Moxico,
Namibe, Uige, Zaire

Independence:
11 November 1975 (from Portugal)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 11 November (1975)

Constitution:
11 November 1975; revised 7 January 1978, 11 August 1980, 6 March
1991, and 26 August 1992; note - a new constitution will likely be
passed following the next legislative election

Legal system:
based on Portuguese civil law system and customary law; recently
modified to accommodate political pluralism and increased use of
free markets

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS (since 21
September 1979); note - the president is both chief of state and
head of government
head of government: President Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS (since 21
September 1979); note - the president is both chief of state and
head of government; Fernando de Piedade Dias DOS SANTOS was
appointed Prime Minister on 6 December 2002
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by universal ballot for a five-year
term (eligible for a second consecutive or discontinuous term) under
the 1992 constitution; President DOS SANTOS originally elected (in
1979) without opposition under a one-party system and stood for
reelection in Angola's first multiparty elections 29-30 September
1992 (next to be held September 2006 or 2007)
election results: Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS 49.6%, Jonas SAVIMBI
40.1%, making a run-off election necessary; the run-off was not held
and SAVIMBI's National Union for the Total Independence of Angola
(UNITA) repudiated the results of the first election; the civil war
resumed leaving DOS SANTOS in his current position as the president

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (220 seats;
members elected by proportional vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 29-30 September 1992 (next to be held September
2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - MPLA 54%, UNITA 34%,
other 12%; seats by party - MPLA 129, UNITA 70, PRS 6, FNLA 5, PLD
3, other 7

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court and separate provincial courts (judges are appointed
by the president)

Political parties and leaders:
Liberal Democratic Party or PLD [Analia de Victoria PEREIRA];
National Front for the Liberation of Angola or FNLA [disputed
leadership: Lucas NGONDA, Holden ROBERTO]; National Union for the
Total Independence of Angola or UNITA [Isaias SAMAKUVA] (largest
opposition party); Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola or
MPLA [Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS] (ruling party in power since 1975);
Social Renewal Party or PRS [disputed leadership: Eduardo KUANGANA,
Antonio MUACHICUNGO]
note: about a dozen minor parties participated in the 1992 elections
but only won a few seats; they and the other 115 smaller parties
have little influence in the National Assembly

Political pressure groups and leaders: Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda or FLEC [N'zita Henriques TIAGO, Antonio Bento BEMBE] note: FLEC's small-scale, highly factionalized armed struggle for the independence of Cabinda Province has largely ended

International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
(signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS
(observer), SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Josefina Perpetua Pitra DIAKITI
chancery: 2108 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: (202) 785-1156
FAX: (202) 785-1258
consulate(s) general: Houston, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Cynthia EFIRD
embassy: number 32 Rua Houari Boumedienne (in the Miramar area of
Luanda), Luanda
mailing address: international mail: Caixa Postal 6468, Luanda;
pouch: US Embassy Luanda,US Department of State, 2550 Luanda Place,
Washington, DC 20521-2550
telephone: (222) 64-1000
FAX: (222) 64-1232

Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and black with a centered
yellow emblem consisting of a five-pointed star within half a
cogwheel crossed by a machete (in the style of a hammer and sickle)

Economy Angola

Economy - overview:
Angola's high growth rate is driven by its oil sector, with record
oil prices and rising petroleum production. Oil production and its
supporting activities contribute about half of GDP and 90% of
exports. Increased oil production supported 12% growth in 2004 and
19% growth in 2005. A postwar reconstruction boom and resettlement
of displaced persons has led to high rates of growth in construction
and agriculture as well. Much of the country's infrastructure is
still damaged or undeveloped from the 27-year-long civil war.
Remnants of the conflict such as widespread land mines still mar the
countryside even though an apparently durable peace was established
after the death of rebel leader Jonas SAVIMBI in February 2002.
Subsistence agriculture provides the main livelihood for half of the
population, but half of the country's food must still be imported.
In 2005, the government started using a $2 billion line of credit
from China to rebuild Angola's public infrastructure, and several
large-scale projects are scheduled for completion by 2006. The
central bank in 2003 implemented an exchange rate stabilization
program using foreign exchange reserves to buy kwanzas out of
circulation, a policy that was more sustainable in 2005 because of
strong oil export earnings, and has significantly reduced inflation.
Consumer inflation declined from 325% in 2000 to about 18% in 2005,
but the stabilization policy places pressure on international net
liquidity. To fully take advantage of its rich national resources -
gold, diamonds, extensive forests, Atlantic fisheries, and large oil
deposits - Angola will need to continue reforming government
policies and to reduce corruption. The government has made
sufficient progress on reforms recommended by the IMF such as
promoting greater transparency in government spending but continues
to be without a formal monitoring agreement with the institution.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$45.32 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$24.35 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
19.9% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$3,800 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 9.6% industry: 65.8% services: 24.6% (2005 est.)

Labor force: 5.58 million (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 85%
industry and services: 15% (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate:
extensive unemployment and underemployment affecting more than half
the population (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line:
70% (2003 est.)

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
23% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
30.3% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $8.5 billion
expenditures: $10 billion; including capital expenditures of $963
million (2005 est.)

Public debt:
38.3% of GDP (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
bananas, sugarcane, coffee, sisal, corn, cotton, manioc (tapioca),
tobacco, vegetables, plantains; livestock; forest products; fish

Industries:
petroleum; diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, feldspar, bauxite,
uranium, and gold; cement; basic metal products; fish processing;
food processing, brewing, tobacco products, sugar; textiles; ship
repair

Industrial production growth rate:
13.5% (2004)

Electricity - production:
2.24 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 36.4% hydro: 63.6% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
1.9 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
1.6 million bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:
46,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day

Oil - proved reserves:
25 billion bbl (2005 est.)

Natural gas - production:
720 million cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
720 million cu m (2003 est.)

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

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

Natural gas - proved reserves:
45.87 billion cu m (2005)

Current account balance:
$4.054 billion (2005 est.)

Exports:
$26.8 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
crude oil, diamonds, refined petroleum products, gas, coffee,
sisal, fish and fish products, timber, cotton

Exports - partners:
US 39.8%, China 29.6%, France 7.8%, Chile 5.4%, Taiwan 4.4% (2005)

Imports:
$8.165 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and electrical equipment, vehicles and spare parts;
medicines, food, textiles, military goods

Imports - partners:
South Korea 20.8%, Portugal 13.6%, US 12.7%, South Africa 7.5%,
Brazil 5.6%, France 5.3%, China 5.1% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$3.197 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
$9.401 billion (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$383.5 million (1999)

Currency (code):
kwanza (AOA)

Currency code:
AOA

Exchange rates:
kwanza per US dollar - 88.6 (2005), 83.541 (2004), 74.606 (2003),
43.53 (2002), 22.058 (2001)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Angola

Telephones - main lines in use:
94,300 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
1,094,100 (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: telephone service limited mostly to government
and business use; HF radiotelephone used extensively for military
links
domestic: limited system of wire, microwave radio relay, and
tropospheric scatter
international: country code - 244; satellite earth stations - 29;
fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC) provides connectivity to
Europe and Asia (2005)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 21, FM 6, shortwave 7 (2000)

Radios:
815,000 (2000)

Television broadcast stations:
6 (2000)

Televisions:
196,000 (2000)

Internet country code:
.ao

Internet hosts:
2,525 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
172,000 (2005)

Transportation Angola

Airports: 244 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 31
over 3,047 m: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 8
1,524 to 2,437 m: 12
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 213
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 30
914 to 1,523 m: 95
under 914 m: 81 (2006)

Pipelines:
gas 235 km; liquid petroleum gas 122 km; oil 867 km; oil/gas/water
5 km (2006)

Railways:
total: 2,761 km
narrow gauge: 2,638 km 1.067-m gauge; 123 km 0.600-m gauge (2005)

Roadways: total: 51,429 km paved: 5,349 km unpaved: 46,080 km (2001)

Waterways:
1,300 km (2005)

Merchant marine:
total: 4 ships (1000 GRT or over) 4,343 GRT/4,643 DWT
by type: cargo 1, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 1
registered in other countries: 5 (Bahamas 5) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Cabinda, Luanda, Soyo

Military Angola

Military branches:
Army, Navy (Marinha de Guerra, MdG), Air and Air Defense Forces
(FANA) (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
17 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service
obligation - two years plus time for training (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 17-49: 2,548,455
females age 17-49: 2,462,601 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 17-49: 1,282,195
females age 17-49: 1,256,390 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 126,694
females age 17-49: 123,586 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$2 billion (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
8.8% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Angola

Disputes - international: many Cabinda exclave secessionists have sought shelter in neighboring states

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 13,510 (Democratic Republic of Congo)
IDPs: 40,000-60,000 (27-year civil war ending in 2002; 4 million
IDPs already have returned) (2005)

Illicit drugs:
used as a transshipment point for cocaine destined for Western
Europe and other African states

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

@Anguilla

Introduction Anguilla

Background:
Colonized by English settlers from Saint Kitts in 1650, Anguilla
was administered by Great Britain until the early 19th century, when
the island - against the wishes of the inhabitants - was
incorporated into a single British dependency, along with Saint
Kitts and Nevis. Several attempts at separation failed. In 1971, two
years after a revolt, Anguilla was finally allowed to secede; this
arrangement was formally recognized in 1980, with Anguilla becoming
a separate British dependency.

Geography Anguilla

Location:
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic
Ocean, east of Puerto Rico

Geographic coordinates:
18 15 N, 63 10 W

Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 102 sq km
land: 102 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:
about half the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
61 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 3 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Climate:
tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds

Terrain:
flat and low-lying island of coral and limestone

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Crocus Hill 65 m

Natural resources:
salt, fish, lobster

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (mostly rock with sparse scrub oak, few trees, some
commercial salt ponds) (2005)

Irrigated land:
NA

Natural hazards:
frequent hurricanes and other tropical storms (July to October)

Environment - current issues: supplies of potable water sometimes cannot meet increasing demand largely because of poor distribution system

Geography - note: the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles

People Anguilla

Population:
13,477 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 22.8% (male 1,557/female 1,510)
15-64 years: 70.4% (male 4,878/female 4,608)
65 years and over: 6.9% (male 412/female 512) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 31.2 years
male: 31.2 years
female: 31.1 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.57% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
14.17 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
5.34 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
6.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 20.32 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 26.67 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 13.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.28 years
male: 74.35 years
female: 80.3 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.73 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality:
noun: Anguillan(s)
adjective: Anguillan

Ethnic groups:
black (predominant) 90.1%, mixed, mulatto 4.6%, white 3.7%, other
1.5% (2001 Census)

Religions:
Anglican 29%, Methodist 23.9%, other Protestant 30.2%, Roman
Catholic 5.7%, other Christian 1.7%, other 5.2%, none or unspecified
4.3% (2001 Census)

Languages:
English (official)

Literacy:
definition: age 12 and over can read and write
total population: 95%
male: 95%
female: 95% (1984 est.)

Government Anguilla

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Anguilla

Dependency status:
overseas territory of the UK

Government type:
NA

Capital:
name: The Valley
geographic coordinates: 18 13 N, 63 04 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
none (overseas territory of the UK)

Independence:
none (overseas territory of the UK)

National holiday:
Anguilla Day, 30 May

Constitution:
Anguilla Constitutional Order 1 April 1982; amended 1990

Legal system:
based on English common law

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952);
represented by Governor Andrew N. GEORGE (since 10 July 2006)
head of government: Chief Minister Osbourne FLEMING (since 3 March
2000)
cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from among the
elected members of the House of Assembly
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by
the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the
majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually
appointed chief minister by the governor

Legislative branch:
unicameral House of Assembly (11 seats total, 7 elected by direct
popular vote, 2 ex officio members, and 2 appointed; members serve
five-year terms)
elections: last held 21 February 2005 (next to be held 2010)
election results: percent of vote by party - AUF 38.9%, ANSA 19.2%,
AUM 19.4%, APP 9.5%, independents 13%; seats by party - AUF 4, ANSA
2, AUM 1

Judicial branch:
High Court (judge provided by Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court)

Political parties and leaders:
Anguilla United Movement or AUM [Hubert HUGHES]; The Anguilla
United Front or AUF [Osbourne FLEMING, Victor BANKS], a coalition of
the Anguilla Democratic Party or ADP and the Anguilla National
Alliance or ANA; Anguilla Progressive Party or APP [Roy ROGERS];
Anguilla Strategic Alternative or ANSA [Edison BAIRD]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), OECS (associate),
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 Anguillan coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag;
the coat of arms depicts three orange dolphins in an interlocking
circular design on a white background with blue wavy water below

Economy Anguilla

Economy - overview:
Anguilla has few natural resources, and the economy depends heavily
on luxury tourism, offshore banking, lobster fishing, and
remittances from emigrants. Increased activity in the tourism
industry, which has spurred the growth of the construction sector,
has contributed to economic growth. Anguillan officials have put
substantial effort into developing the offshore financial sector,
which is small, but growing. In the medium term, prospects for the
economy will depend largely on the tourism sector and, therefore, on
revived income growth in the industrialized nations as well as on
favorable weather conditions.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$108.9 million (2004 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$108.9 million

GDP - real growth rate:
10.2% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$8,800 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 4% industry: 18% services: 78% (2002 est.)

Labor force: 6,049 (2001)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture/fishing/forestry/mining 4%, manufacturing 3%, construction 18%, transportation and utilities 10%, commerce 36%, services 29% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate:
8% (2002)

Population below poverty line:
23% (2002)

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5.3%

Budget:
revenues: $22.8 million
expenditures: $22.5 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2000 est.)

Agriculture - products:
small quantities of tobacco, vegetables; cattle raising

Industries:
tourism, boat building, offshore financial services

Industrial production growth rate:
3.1% (1997 est.)

Electricity - production:
NA kWh

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: NA hydro: NA nuclear: NA other: NA

Electricity - consumption:
42.6 million kWh

Current account balance:
$-42.87 million

Exports:
$14.56 million (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
lobster, fish, livestock, salt, concrete blocks, rum

Exports - partners:
UK, US, Puerto Rico, Saint-Martin (2004)

Imports:
$129.9 million (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
fuels, foodstuffs, manufactures, chemicals, trucks, textiles

Imports - partners:
US, Puerto Rico, UK (2004)

Debt - external:
$8.8 million (1998)

Economic aid - recipient:
$9 million (2004 est.)

Currency (code):
East Caribbean dollar (XCD)

Currency code:
XCD

Exchange rates:
East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7
(2003), 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001)
note: fixed rate since 1976

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications Anguilla

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

Telephones - mobile cellular:
1,800 (2002)

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: modern internal telephone system
international: country code - 1-264; microwave radio relay to island
of Saint Martin (Guadeloupe and Netherlands Antilles)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 7, shortwave 0 (2004)

Radios:
3,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
1 (1997)

Televisions:
1,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.ai

Internet hosts:
403 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
16 (2000)

Internet users:
3,000 (2002)

Transportation Anguilla

Airports: 3 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Roadways: total: 105 km paved: 65 km unpaved: 40 km (2002)

Merchant marine:
registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Blowing Point, Road Bay

Military Anguilla

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 3,614 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 2,986 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 120 (2005 est.)

Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the UK

Transnational Issues Anguilla

Disputes - international:
none

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the
US and Europe

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

@Antarctica

Introduction Antarctica

Background:
Speculation over the existence of a "southern land" was not
confirmed until the early 1820s when British and American commercial
operators and British and Russian national expeditions began
exploring the Antarctic Peninsula region and other areas south of
the Antarctic Circle. Not until 1840 was it established that
Antarctica was indeed a continent and not just a group of islands.
Several exploration "firsts" were achieved in the early 20th
century. Following World War II, there was an upsurge in scientific
research on the continent. A number of countries have set up
year-round research stations on Antarctica. Seven have made
territorial claims, but not all countries recognize these claims. In
order to form a legal framework for the activities of nations on the
continent, an Antarctic Treaty was negotiated that neither denies
nor gives recognition to existing territorial claims; signed in
1959, it entered into force in 1961.

Geography Antarctica

Location:
continent mostly south of the Antarctic Circle

Geographic coordinates:
90 00 S, 0 00 E

Map references:
Antarctic Region

Area:
total: 14 million sq km
land: 14 million sq km (280,000 sq km ice-free, 13.72 million sq km
ice-covered) (est.)
note: fifth-largest continent, following Asia, Africa, North
America, and South America, but larger than Australia and the
subcontinent of Europe

Area - comparative:
slightly less than 1.5 times the size of the US

Land boundaries: 0 km note: see entry on Disputes - international

Coastline:
17,968 km

Maritime claims:
Australia, Chile, and Argentina claim Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)
rights or similar over 200 nm extensions seaward from their
continental claims, but like the claims themselves, these zones are
not accepted by other countries; 21 of 28 Antarctic consultative
nations have made no claims to Antarctic territory (although Russia
and the US have reserved the right to do so) and do not recognize
the claims of the other nations; also see the Disputes -
international entry

Climate:
severe low temperatures vary with latitude, elevation, and distance
from the ocean; East Antarctica is colder than West Antarctica
because of its higher elevation; Antarctic Peninsula has the most
moderate climate; higher temperatures occur in January along the
coast and average slightly below freezing

Terrain:
about 98% thick continental ice sheet and 2% barren rock, with
average elevations between 2,000 and 4,000 meters; mountain ranges
up to nearly 5,000 meters; ice-free coastal areas include parts of
southern Victoria Land, Wilkes Land, the Antarctic Peninsula area,
and parts of Ross Island on McMurdo Sound; glaciers form ice shelves
along about half of the coastline, and floating ice shelves
constitute 11% of the area of the continent

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Bentley Subglacial Trench -2,555 m
highest point: Vinson Massif 4,897 m
note: the lowest known land point in Antarctica is hidden in the
Bentley Subglacial Trench; at its surface is the deepest ice yet
discovered and the world's lowest elevation not under seawater

Natural resources:
iron ore, chromium, copper, gold, nickel, platinum and other
minerals, and coal and hydrocarbons have been found in small
uncommercial quantities; none presently exploited; krill, finfish,
and crab have been taken by commercial fisheries

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (ice 98%, barren rock 2%) (2005)

Natural hazards:
katabatic (gravity-driven) winds blow coastward from the high
interior; frequent blizzards form near the foot of the plateau;
cyclonic storms form over the ocean and move clockwise along the
coast; volcanism on Deception Island and isolated areas of West
Antarctica; other seismic activity rare and weak; large icebergs may
calve from ice shelf

Environment - current issues:
in 1998, NASA satellite data showed that the Antarctic ozone hole
was the largest on record, covering 27 million square kilometers;
researchers in 1997 found that increased ultraviolet light passing
through the hole damages the DNA of icefish, an Antarctic fish
lacking hemoglobin; ozone depletion earlier was shown to harm
one-celled Antarctic marine plants; in 2002, significant areas of
ice shelves disintegrated in response to regional warming

Geography - note:
the coldest, windiest, highest (on average), and driest continent;
during summer, more solar radiation reaches the surface at the South
Pole than is received at the Equator in an equivalent period; mostly
uninhabitable

People Antarctica

Population:
no indigenous inhabitants, but there are both permanent and
summer-only staffed research stations
note: 26 nations, all signatory to the Antarctic Treaty, operate
through their National Antarctic Program a number of seasonal-only
(summer) and year-round research stations on the continent and its
nearby islands south of 60 degrees south latitude (the region
covered by the Antarctic Treaty); these stations' population of
persons doing and supporting science or engaged in the management
and protection of the Antarctic region varies from approximately
4,000 in summer to 1,000 in winter; in addition, approximately 1,000
personnel, including ship's crew and scientists doing onboard
research, are present in the waters of the treaty region; peak
summer (December-February) population - 3,822 total; Argentina 417,
Australia 213, Brazil 40, Bulgaria 15, Chile 224, China 70, Ecuador
22, Finland 20, France 123, Germany 78, India 65, Italy 112, Japan
150, South Korea 60, NZ 85, Norway 44, Peru 28, Poland 40, Russia
429, South Africa 80, Spain 28, Sweden 20, Ukraine 24, UK 205, US
1,170, Uruguay 60 (2005-2006); winter (June-August) station
population - 1,028 total; Argentina 176, Australia 62, Brazil 12,
Chile 88, China 29, France 37, Germany 9, India 25, Italy 2, Japan
40, South Korea 15, NZ 10, Norway 7, Poland 12, Russia 148, South
Africa 10, Ukraine 12, UK 37, US 288, Uruguay 9 (2005); research
stations operated within the Antarctic Treaty area (south of 60
degrees south latitude) by members of the Council of Managers of
National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP): year-round stations - 37
total; Argentina 6, Australia 3, Brazil 1, Chile 3, China 2, France
1, Germany 1, India 1, Japan 1, South Korea 1, NZ 1, Norway 1,
Poland 1, Russia 5, South Africa 1, Ukraine 1, UK 2, US 3, Uruguay
1, Italy and France jointly 1 (2005); seasonal-only (summer)
stations - 15 total; Australia 1, Bulgaria 1, Chile 1, Ecuador 1,
Finland 1, Germany 1, Italy 1, Japan 1, Norway 1, Peru 1, Russia 1,
Spain 2, Sweden 1, UK 1 (2005-2006); in addition, during the austral
summer some nations have numerous occupied locations such as tent
camps, summer-long temporary facilities, and mobile traverses in
support of research

Government Antarctica

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Antarctica

Government type: Antarctic Treaty Summary - the Antarctic Treaty, signed on 1 December 1959 and entered into force on 23 June 1961, establishes the legal framework for the management of Antarctica; the 28th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting was held in Stockholm, Sweden in June 2005; at these periodic meetings, decisions are made by consensus (not by vote) of all consultative member nations; at the end of 2005, there were 45 treaty member nations: 28 consultative and 17 non-consultative; consultative (decision-making) members include the seven nations that claim portions of Antarctica as national territory (some claims overlap) and 21 non-claimant nations; the US and Russia have reserved the right to make claims; the US does not recognize the claims of others; Antarctica is administered through meetings of the consultative member nations; decisions from these meetings are carried out by these member nations (with respect to their own nationals and operations) in accordance with their own national laws; the years in parentheses indicate when a consultative member-nation acceded to the Treaty and when it was accepted as a consultative member, while no date indicates the country was an original 1959 treaty signatory; claimant nations are - Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, NZ, Norway, and the UK. Nonclaimant consultative nations are - Belgium, Brazil (1975/1983), Bulgaria (1978/1998) China (1983/1985), Ecuador (1987/1990), Finland (1984/1989), Germany (1979/1981), India (1983/1983), Italy (1981/1987), Japan, South Korea (1986/1989), Netherlands (1967/1990), Peru (1981/1989), Poland (1961/1977), Russia, South Africa, Spain (1982/1988), Sweden (1984/1988), Ukraine (1992/2004), Uruguay (1980/1985), and the US; non-consultative members, with year of accession in parentheses, are - Austria (1987), Canada (1988), Colombia (1989), Cuba (1984), Czech Republic (1962/1993), Denmark (1965), Estonia (2001), Greece (1987), Guatemala (1991), Hungary (1984), North Korea (1987), Papua New Guinea (1981), Romania (1971), Slovakia (1962/1993), Switzerland (1990), Turkey (1996), and Venezuela (1999); note - Czechoslovakia acceded to the Treaty in 1962 and separated into the Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993; Article 1 - area to be used for peaceful purposes only; military activity, such as weapons testing, is prohibited, but military personnel and equipment may be used for scientific research or any other peaceful purpose; Article 2 - freedom of scientific investigation and cooperation shall continue; Article 3 - free exchange of information and personnel, cooperation with the UN and other international agencies; Article 4 - does not recognize, dispute, or establish territorial claims and no new claims shall be asserted while the treaty is in force; Article 5 - prohibits nuclear explosions or disposal of radioactive wastes; Article 6 - includes under the treaty all land and ice shelves south of 60 degrees 00 minutes south and reserves high seas rights; Article 7 - treaty-state observers have free access, including aerial observation, to any area and may inspect all stations, installations, and equipment; advance notice of all expeditions and of the introduction of military personnel must be given; Article 8 - allows for jurisdiction over observers and scientists by their own states; Article 9 - frequent consultative meetings take place among member nations; Article 10 - treaty states will discourage activities by any country in Antarctica that are contrary to the treaty; Article 11 - disputes to be settled peacefully by the parties concerned or, ultimately, by the ICJ; Articles 12, 13, 14 - deal with upholding, interpreting, and amending the treaty among involved nations; other agreements - some 200 recommendations adopted at treaty consultative meetings and ratified by governments include - Agreed Measures for Fauna and Flora (1964) which were later incorporated into the Environmental Protocol; Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals (1972); Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (1980); a mineral resources agreement was signed in 1988 but remains unratified; the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty was signed 4 October 1991 and entered into force 14 January 1998; this agreement provides for the protection of the Antarctic environment through six specific annexes: 1) environmental impact assessment, 2) conservation of Antarctic fauna and flora, 3) waste disposal and waste management, 4) prevention of marine pollution, 5) area protection and management and 6) liability arising from environmental emergencies; it prohibits all activities relating to mineral resources except scientific research; a permanent Antarctic Treaty Secretariat was established in 2004 in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Legal system:
Antarctica is administered through meetings of the consultative
member nations; decisions from these meetings are carried out by
these member nations (with respect to their own nationals and
operations) in accordance with their own national laws; US law,
including certain criminal offenses by or against US nationals, such
as murder, may apply extraterritorially; some US laws directly apply
to Antarctica; for example, the Antarctic Conservation Act, 16
U.S.C. section 2401 et seq., provides civil and criminal penalties
for the following activities, unless authorized by regulation of
statute: the taking of native mammals or birds; the introduction of
nonindigenous plants and animals; entry into specially protected
areas; the discharge or disposal of pollutants; and the importation
into the US of certain items from Antarctica; violation of the
Antarctic Conservation Act carries penalties of up to $10,000 in
fines and one year in prison; the National Science Foundation and
Department of Justice share enforcement responsibilities; Public Law
95-541, the US Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978, as amended in
1996, requires expeditions from the US to Antarctica to notify, in
advance, the Office of Oceans, Room 5805, Department of State,
Washington, DC 20520, which reports such plans to other nations as
required by the Antarctic Treaty; for more information, contact
Permit Office, Office of Polar Programs, National Science
Foundation, Arlington, Virginia 22230; telephone: (703) 292-8030, or
visit their website at www.nsf.gov; more generally, access to the
Antarctic Treaty area, that is to all areas between 60 and 90
degrees south latitude, is subject to a number of relevant legal
instruments and authorization procedures adopted by the states party
to the Antarctic Treaty

Economy Antarctica

Economy - overview:
Fishing off the coast and tourism, both based abroad, account for
Antarctica's limited economic activity. Antarctic fisheries in
2003-04 (1 July-30 June) reported landing 136,262 metric tons
(estimated fishing from the area covered by the Convention on the
Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), which
extends slightly beyond the Antarctic Treaty area). Unregulated
fishing, particularly of Patagonian toothfish, is a serious problem.
The CCAMLR determines the recommended catch limits for marine
species. A total of 23,175 tourists visited in the 2004-05 Antarctic
summer, up from the 19,486 visitors the previous year. Nearly all of
them were passengers on commercial (nongovernmental) ships and
several yachts that make trips during the summer. Most tourist trips
last approximately two weeks.

Communications Antarctica

Telephones - main lines in use:
0; note - information for US bases only (2001)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
NA

Telephone system:
general assessment: local systems at some research stations
domestic: commercial cellular networks operating in a small number
of locations
international: country code - 672; via satellite (including mobile
Inmarsat and Iridium systems) from all research stations, ships,
aircraft, and most field parties

Radio broadcast stations:
AM NA, FM 2, shortwave 1, note - information for US bases only
(2002)

Radios:
NA

Television broadcast stations:
1 (cable system with six channels; American Forces Antarctic
Network-McMurdo)
note: information for US bases only (2002)

Televisions:
several hundred at McMurdo Station (US)
note: information for US bases only (2001)

Internet country code:
.aq

Internet hosts:
7,757 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
NA

Transportation Antarctica

Airports: 20 note: there are no developed public access airports or landing facilities; 28 stations or remote field locations, operated by 11 National Antarctic Programs from nations party to the Antarctic Treaty, have restricted aircraft landing facilities comprising a total of 11 runways and 22 skiways for fixed-wing aircraft; some stations have both runways and skiways; commercial enterprises operate two aircraft landing facilities at one station; helicopter pads are available at all 37 year-round and 15 seasonal stations operated by National Antarctic Programs; the 11 runways are suitable for wheeled, fixed-wing aircraft: three are gravel, four blue-ice, two sea-ice and two compacted snow; of these, five are 3 km in length, two are between 2 km and 3 km in length, three are between 1 km and 2 km in length and one is less than 1 km in length; the 22 snow surface skiways are limited to use by ski-equipped, fixed-wing aircraft; of these, three are equal to or greater than 3 km in length, one is between 2 km and 3 km in length, nine are between 1 km and 2 km in length, five are less than 1 km in length, and four are of unknown or variable length; snow surface skiways are generally prepared and maintained during specific periods only and during summer; all aircraft landing facilities subject to severe restrictions and limitations resulting from extreme seasonal and geographic conditions; aircraft landing facilities do not meet ICAO standards; advance approval from the respective governmental or nongovernmental operating organization required for using their facilities; landed aircraft are subject to inspection in accordance with Article 7, Antarctic Treaty; guidelines for the operation of aircraft near concentrations of birds in Antarctica were adopted in 2004; relevant legal instruments and authorization procedures adopted by states party to the Antarctic Treaty regulating access to the Antarctic Treaty area, that is to all areas between 60 and 90 degrees of latitude South, have to be complied with (see information under "Legal System"); an Antarctic Flight Information Manual (AFIM) providing up-to-date details of Antarctic air facilities and procedures is maintained and published by the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 28 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 4 length unknown or variable: 4 (2006)

Heliports:
37
note: all 37 year-round and 15 seasonal stations operated by
National Antarctic Programs stations have restricted helicopter
landing facilities (helipads) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
there are no developed ports and harbors in Antarctica; most
coastal stations have offshore anchorages, and supplies are
transferred from ship to shore by small boats, barges, and
helicopters; a few stations have a basic wharf facility; US coastal
stations include McMurdo (77 51 S, 166 40 E), and Palmer (64 43 S,
64 03 W); government use only except by permit (see Permit Office
under "Legal System"); all ships at port are subject to inspection
in accordance with Article 7, Antarctic Treaty; offshore anchorage
is sparse and intermittent; relevant legal instruments and
authorization procedures adopted by the states parties to the
Antarctic Treaty regulating access to the Antarctic Treaty area, to
all areas between 60 and 90 degrees of latitude south, have to be
complied with (see "Legal System"); The Hydrographic Committee on
Antarctica (HCA), a special hydrographic commission of International
Hydrographic Organization (IHO), is responsible for hydrographic
surveying and nautical charting matters in Antarctic Treaty area; it
coordinates and facilitates provision of accurate and appropriate
charts and other aids to navigation in support of safety of
navigation in region; membership of HCA is open to any IHO Member
State whose government has acceded to the Antarctic Treaty and which
contributes resources and/or data to IHO Chart coverage of the area;
members of HCA are Argentina, Australia, Chile, China, France,
Germany, Greece, India, Italy, NZ, Norway, Russia, South Africa,
Spain, and the UK (2005)

Military Antarctica

Military - note:
the Antarctic Treaty prohibits any measures of a military nature,
such as the establishment of military bases and fortifications, the
carrying out of military maneuvers, or the testing of any type of
weapon; it permits the use of military personnel or equipment for
scientific research or for any other peaceful purposes

Transnational Issues Antarctica

Disputes - international:
Antarctic Treaty freezes claims (see Antarctic Treaty Summary in
government type entry); Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, NZ,
Norway, and UK claim land and maritime sectors (some overlapping)
for a large portion of the continent; the US and many other states
do not recognize these territorial claims and have made no claims
themselves (the US and Russia reserve the right to do so); no claims
have been made in the sector between 90 degrees west and 150 degrees
west; several states with territorial claims in Antarctica have
expressed their intention to submit data to the UN Commission on the
Limits of the Continental Shelf to extend their continental shelf
claims to adjoining undersea ridges

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

@Antigua and Barbuda

Introduction Antigua and Barbuda

Background:
The Siboney were the first to inhabit the islands of Antigua and
Barbuda in 2400 B.C., but Arawak Indians populated the islands when
Columbus landed on his second voyage in 1493. Early settlements by
the Spanish and French were succeeded by the English who formed a
colony in 1667. Slavery, established to run the sugar plantations on
Antigua, was abolished in 1834. The islands became an independent
state within the British Commonwealth of Nations in 1981.

Geography Antigua and Barbuda

Location:
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic
Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico

Geographic coordinates:
17 03 N, 61 48 W

Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 442.6 sq km (Antigua 280 sq km; Barbuda 161 sq km)
land: 442.6 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: includes Redonda, 1.6 sq km

Area - comparative:
2.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
153 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate:
tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation

Terrain:
mostly low-lying limestone and coral islands, with some higher
volcanic areas

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Boggy Peak 402 m

Natural resources:
NEGL; pleasant climate fosters tourism

Land use:
arable land: 18.18%
permanent crops: 4.55%
other: 77.27% (2005)

Irrigated land:
NA

Natural hazards:
hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October); periodic droughts

Environment - current issues: water management - a major concern because of limited natural fresh water resources - is further hampered by the clearing of trees to increase crop production, causing rainfall to run off quickly

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, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
Antigua has a deeply indented shoreline with many natural harbors
and beaches; Barbuda has a very large western harbor

People Antigua and Barbuda

Population:
69,108 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 27.6% (male 9,716/female 9,375)
15-64 years: 68.5% (male 23,801/female 23,524)
65 years and over: 3.9% (male 1,020/female 1,672) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 30 years
male: 29.5 years
female: 30.5 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.55% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
16.93 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
5.37 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
-6.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 18.86 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 22.71 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 14.82 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.16 years
male: 69.78 years
female: 74.66 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.24 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA

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

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA

Nationality: noun: Antiguan(s), Barbudan(s) adjective: Antiguan, Barbudan

Ethnic groups:
black, British, Portuguese, Lebanese, Syrian

Religions:
Christian (predominantly Anglican with other Protestant, and some
Roman Catholic)

Languages:
English (official), local dialects

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has completed five or more years of
schooling
total population: 85.8%
male: NA%
female: NA% (2003 est.)

Government Antigua and Barbuda

Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Antigua and Barbuda

Government type:
constitutional parliamentary democracy

Capital:
name: Saint John's
geographic coordinates: 17 06 N, 61 51 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
6 parishes and 2 dependencies*; Barbuda*, Redonda*, Saint George,
Saint John, Saint Mary, Saint Paul, Saint Peter, Saint Philip

Independence:
1 November 1981 (from UK)

National holiday:
Independence Day (National Day), 1 November (1981)

Constitution:
1 November 1981

Legal system:
based on English common law

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Governor General Sir James B. CARLISLE (since 10 June
1993)
head of government: Prime Minister Winston Baldwin SPENCER (since 24
March 2004)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the governor general on
the advice of the prime minister
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general chosen
by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister; following
legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the
leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister
by the governor general

Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (17-member body
appointed by the governor general) and the House of Representatives
(17 seats; members are elected by proportional representation to
serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 23 March 2004 (next
to be held in 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
ALP 4, UPP 13

Judicial branch:
Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based in Saint Lucia; one judge of
the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the
Court of Summary Jurisdiction); member Caribbean Court of Justice

Political parties and leaders:
Antigua Labor Party or ALP [Lester Bryant BIRD]; Barbuda People's
Movement or BPM [Thomas H. FRANK]; National Democratic Congress
[Tillman THOMAS]; United Progressive Party or UPP [Baldwin SPENCER]
(a coalition of three opposition parties - Antigua Caribbean
Liberation Movement or ACLM, Progressive Labor Movement or PLM,
United National Democratic Party or UNDP)

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Antigua Trades and Labor Union or ATLU [William ROBINSON]; People's
Democratic Movement or PDM [Hugh MARSHALL]

International organization participation:
ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber),
ITU, MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS, OECS, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Deborah Mae LOVELL chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: (202) 362-5122 FAX: (202) 362-5225 consulate(s) general: Miami

Diplomatic representation from the US: the US does not have an embassy in Antigua and Barbuda (embassy closed 30 June 1994); the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Antigua and Barbuda

Flag description:
red, with an inverted isosceles triangle based on the top edge of
the flag; the triangle contains three horizontal bands of black
(top), light blue, and white, with a yellow rising sun in the black
band

Economy Antigua and Barbuda

Economy - overview:
Tourism continues to dominate the economy, accounting for more than
half of GDP. Weak tourist arrival numbers since early 2000 have
slowed the economy, however, and pressed the government into a tight
fiscal corner. The dual-island nation's agricultural production is
focused on the domestic market and constrained by a limited water
supply and a labor shortage stemming from the lure of higher wages
in tourism and construction. Manufacturing comprises enclave-type
assembly for export with major products being bedding, handicrafts,
and electronic components. Prospects for economic growth in the
medium term will continue to depend on income growth in the
industrialized world, especially in the US, which accounts for
slightly more than one-third of tourist arrivals.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$750 million (2002 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$905 million

GDP - real growth rate:
3.8% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$10,900 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3.8% industry: 22% services: 74.3% (2002)

Labor force: 30,000

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 7% industry: 11% services: 82% (1983)

Unemployment rate:
11% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
0.9% (2005 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $123.7 million
expenditures: $145.9 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2000 est.)

Agriculture - products:
cotton, fruits, vegetables, bananas, coconuts, cucumbers, mangoes,
sugarcane; livestock

Industries:
tourism, construction, light manufacturing (clothing, alcohol,
household appliances)

Industrial production growth rate:
6% (1997 est.)

Electricity - production:
100 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
93 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2003)

Oil - consumption:
3,600 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day

Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2003 est.)

Current account balance:
$-83.4 million

Exports:
$46.81 million (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities:
petroleum products 48%, manufactures 23%, machinery and transport
equipment 17%, food and live animals 4%, other 8%

Exports - partners:
Spain 34%, Germany 20.7%, Italy 7.7%, Singapore 5.8%, UK 4.9% (2005)

Imports:
$378 million (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities:
food and live animals, machinery and transport equipment,
manufactures, chemicals, oil

Imports - partners:
US 21.1%, China 16.4%, Germany 13.3%, Singapore 12.7%, Spain 6.5%
(2005)

Debt - external:
$427.3 million; note - data are for public external debt, not total
external debt (2000)

Economic aid - recipient:
$1.65 million (2004)

Currency (code):
East Caribbean dollar (XCD)

Currency code:
XCD

Exchange rates:
East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7
(2003), 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001)
note: fixed rate since 1976

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications Antigua and Barbuda

Telephones - main lines in use:
38,000 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
54,000 (2004)

Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: good automatic telephone system
international: country code - 1-268; 1 coaxial submarine cable;
satellite earth station - 2; tropospheric scatter to Saba
(Netherlands Antilles) and Guadeloupe

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 4, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
36,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
2 (1997)

Televisions:
31,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.ag

Internet hosts:
2,231 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
16 (2000)

Internet users:
20,000 (2005)

Transportation Antigua and Barbuda

Airports:
3 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2006)

Roadways:
total: 1,165 km
paved: 384 km
unpaved: 781 km (2002)

Merchant marine:
total: 1,011 ships (1000 GRT or over) 7,452,503 GRT/9,783,309 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 40, cargo 596, chemical tanker 7, container
321, liquefied gas 11, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 1,
refrigerated cargo 12, roll on/roll off 21
foreign-owned: 984 (Australia 1, Bangladesh 4, Belgium 4, Colombia
2, Denmark 14, Estonia 12, France 1, Germany 858, Iceland 8, Isle of
Man 2, Latvia 5, Lebanon 1, Lithuania 3, Netherlands 14, Norway 11,
NZ 1, Poland 3, Russia 6, Singapore 1, Slovenia 6, Switzerland 4,
Turkey 8, UK 7, US 7, Vietnam 1) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Saint John's

Military Antigua and Barbuda

Military branches:
Royal Antigua and Barbuda Defense Force (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age (est.); no conscript military service (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 18,952
females age 18-49: 18,360 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 14,859
females age 18-49: 14,947 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 507
females age 18-49: 494 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA

Transnational Issues Antigua and Barbuda

Disputes - international:
none

Illicit drugs:
considered a minor transshipment point for narcotics bound for the
US and Europe; more significant as an offshore financial center

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

@Arctic Ocean

Introduction Arctic Ocean

Background:
The Arctic Ocean is the smallest of the world's five oceans (after
the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and the recently
delimited Southern Ocean). The Northwest Passage (US and Canada) and
Northern Sea Route (Norway and Russia) are two important seasonal
waterways. A sparse network of air, ocean, river, and land routes
circumscribes the Arctic Ocean.

Geography Arctic Ocean

Location:
body of water between Europe, Asia, and North America, mostly north
of the Arctic Circle

Geographic coordinates:
90 00 N, 0 00 E

Map references:
Arctic Region

Area:
total: 14.056 million sq km
note: includes Baffin Bay, Barents Sea, Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Sea,
East Siberian Sea, Greenland Sea, Hudson Bay, Hudson Strait, Kara
Sea, Laptev Sea, Northwest Passage, and other tributary water bodies

Area - comparative:
slightly less than 1.5 times the size of the US

Coastline:
45,389 km

Climate:
polar climate characterized by persistent cold and relatively
narrow annual temperature ranges; winters characterized by
continuous darkness, cold and stable weather conditions, and clear
skies; summers characterized by continuous daylight, damp and foggy
weather, and weak cyclones with rain or snow

Terrain:
central surface covered by a perennial drifting polar icepack that,
on average, is about 3 meters thick, although pressure ridges may be
three times that thickness; clockwise drift pattern in the Beaufort
Gyral Stream, but nearly straight-line movement from the New
Siberian Islands (Russia) to Denmark Strait (between Greenland and
Iceland); the icepack is surrounded by open seas during the summer,
but more than doubles in size during the winter and extends to the
encircling landmasses; the ocean floor is about 50% continental
shelf (highest percentage of any ocean) with the remainder a central
basin interrupted by three submarine ridges (Alpha Cordillera,
Nansen Cordillera, and Lomonosov Ridge)

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Fram Basin -4,665 m
highest point: sea level 0 m

Natural resources:
sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules,
oil and gas fields, fish, marine mammals (seals and whales)

Natural hazards:
ice islands occasionally break away from northern Ellesmere Island;
icebergs calved from glaciers in western Greenland and extreme
northeastern Canada; permafrost in islands; virtually ice locked
from October to June; ships subject to superstructure icing from
October to May

Environment - current issues:
endangered marine species include walruses and whales; fragile
ecosystem slow to change and slow to recover from disruptions or
damage; thinning polar icepack

Geography - note:
major chokepoint is the southern Chukchi Sea (northern access to
the Pacific Ocean via the Bering Strait); strategic location between
North America and Russia; shortest marine link between the extremes
of eastern and western Russia; floating research stations operated
by the US and Russia; maximum snow cover in March or April about 20
to 50 centimeters over the frozen ocean; snow cover lasts about 10
months

Economy Arctic Ocean

Economy - overview:
Economic activity is limited to the exploitation of natural
resources, including petroleum, natural gas, fish, and seals.

Transportation Arctic Ocean

Ports and terminals:
Churchill (Canada), Murmansk (Russia), Prudhoe Bay (US)

Transportation - note:
sparse network of air, ocean, river, and land routes; the Northwest
Passage (North America) and Northern Sea Route (Eurasia) are
important seasonal waterways

Transnational Issues Arctic Ocean

Disputes - international: some maritime disputes (see littoral states)

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

@Argentina

Introduction Argentina

Background:
In 1816, the United Provinces of the Rio Plata declared their
independence from Spain. Eventually, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay
went their own way, but the area that remained became Argentina. The
country's population and culture were subsequently heavily shaped by
immigrants from throughout Europe, but most particularly Italy and
Spain, which provided the largest percentage of newcomers from 1860
to 1930. Up until about the mid-20th century, much of Argentina's
history was dominated by periods of internal political conflict
between conservatives and liberals and between civilian and military
factions. After World War II, an era of Peronist authoritarian rule
and interference in subsequent governments was followed by a
military junta that took power in 1976. Democracy returned in 1983,
and has persisted despite numerous challenges, the most formidable
of which was a severe economic crisis in 2001-02 that led to violent
public protests and the resignation of several interim presidents.
Successful negotiations with the IMF allowed Argentina to sidestep
some fiscal discipline measures normally imposed in such
circumstances. Since 2003, the government's efforts to stem the
crisis have led to rapid economic recovery.

Geography Argentina

Location:
Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between
Chile and Uruguay

Geographic coordinates:
34 00 S, 64 00 W

Map references:
South America

Area:
total: 2,766,890 sq km
land: 2,736,690 sq km
water: 30,200 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly less than three-tenths the size of the US

Land boundaries:
total: 9,665 km
border countries: Bolivia 832 km, Brazil 1,224 km, Chile 5,150 km,
Paraguay 1,880 km, Uruguay 579 km

Coastline:
4,989 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate:
mostly temperate; arid in southeast; subantarctic in southwest

Terrain:
rich plains of the Pampas in northern half, flat to rolling plateau
of Patagonia in south, rugged Andes along western border

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Laguna del Carbon -105 m (located between Puerto San
Julian and Comandante Luis Piedra Buena in the province of Santa
Cruz)
highest point: Cerro Aconcagua 6,960 m (located in the northwestern
corner of the province of Mendoza)

Natural resources:
fertile plains of the pampas, lead, zinc, tin, copper, iron ore,
manganese, petroleum, uranium

Land use: arable land: 10.03% permanent crops: 0.36% other: 89.61% (2005)

Irrigated land:
15,500 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
San Miguel de Tucuman and Mendoza areas in the Andes subject to
earthquakes; pamperos are violent windstorms that can strike the
pampas and northeast; heavy flooding

Environment - current issues: environmental problems (urban and rural) typical of an industrializing economy such as deforestation, soil degradation, desertification, air pollution, and water pollution note: Argentina is a world leader in setting voluntary greenhouse gas targets

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living
Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note:
second-largest country in South America (after Brazil); strategic
location relative to sea lanes between the South Atlantic and the
South Pacific Oceans (Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Drake
Passage); diverse geophysical landscapes range from tropical
climates in the north to tundra in the far south; Cerro Aconcagua is
the Western Hemisphere's tallest mountain, while Laguna del Carbon
is the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere

People Argentina

Population:
39,921,833 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 25.2% (male 5,153,164/female 4,921,625)
15-64 years: 64.1% (male 12,804,376/female 12,798,731)
65 years and over: 10.6% (male 1,740,118/female 2,503,819) (2006
est.)

Median age: total: 29.7 years male: 28.8 years female: 30.7 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.96% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
16.73 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
7.55 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 14.73 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 16.58 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 12.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.12 years
male: 72.38 years
female: 80.05 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.16 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.7% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
130,000 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
1,500 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Argentine(s)
adjective: Argentine

Ethnic groups:
white (mostly Spanish and Italian) 97%, mestizo (mixed white and
Amerindian ancestry), Amerindian, or other non-white groups 3%

Religions:
nominally Roman Catholic 92% (less than 20% practicing), Protestant
2%, Jewish 2%, other 4%

Languages:
Spanish (official), English, Italian, German, French

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.1%
male: 97.1%
female: 97.1% (2003 est.)

Government Argentina

Country name:
conventional long form: Argentine Republic
conventional short form: Argentina
local long form: Republica Argentina
local short form: Argentina

Government type:
republic

Capital:
name: Buenos Aires
geographic coordinates: 34 36 S, 58 27 W
time difference: UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:
23 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 autonomous
city* (distrito federal); Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires Capital
Federal*, Catamarca, Chaco, Chubut, Cordoba, Corrientes, Entre Rios,
Formosa, Jujuy, La Pampa, La Rioja, Mendoza, Misiones, Neuquen, Rio
Negro, Salta, San Juan, San Luis, Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Santiago del
Estero, Tierra del Fuego - Antartida e Islas del Atlantico Sur,
Tucuman
note: the US does not recognize any claims to Antarctica

Independence:
9 July 1816 (from Spain)

National holiday:
Revolution Day, 25 May (1810)

Constitution:
1 May 1853; revised August 1994

Legal system:
mixture of US and West European legal systems; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Nestor KIRCHNER (since 25 May 2003); Vice
President Daniel SCIOLI (since 25 May 2003); note - the president is
both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Nestor KIRCHNER (since 25 May 2003);
Vice President Daniel SCIOLI (since 25 May 2003); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term);
election last held 27 April 2003 (next election to be held in 2007)
election results: results of the presidential election of 27 April
2003: Carlos Saul MENEM 24.3%, Nestor KIRCHNER 22%, Ricardo Lopez
MURPHY 16.4%, Adolfo Rodriguez SAA 14.4%, Elisa CARRIO 14.2%, other
8.7%; the subsequent runoff election slated for 25 May 2003 was
awarded to KIRCHNER by default after MENEM withdrew his candidacy on
the eve of the election

Legislative branch:
bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the
Senate (72 seats; members are elected by direct vote; presently
one-third of the members elected every two years to a six-year term)
and the Chamber of Deputies (257 seats; members are elected by
direct vote; one-half of the members elected every two years to a
four-year term)
elections: Senate - last held 23 October 2005 (next to be held in
2007); Chamber of Deputies - last held last held 23 October 2005
(next to be held in 2007)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by bloc or party - FV
45.1%, FJ 17.2%, UCR 7.5%, other 30.2%; seats by bloc or party - FV
14, FJ 3, UCR 2, other 5; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by
bloc or party - FV 29.9%, UCR 8.9%, ARI 7.2%, PJ 6.7%, PRO 6.2%, FJ
3.9%, other 37.2%; seats by bloc or party - FV 50, UCR 10, ARI 8, PJ
9, PRO 9, FJ 7, other 34

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (the nine Supreme Court judges are
appointed by the president with approval by the Senate)

Political parties and leaders:
Alternative for a Republic of Equals or ARI [Elisa CARRIO]; Front
for Victory or FV [Nestor KIRCHNER]; Interbloque Federal or IF (a
broad coalition of approximately 12 parties including RECREAR);
Justicialist Front or FJ [Eduardo DUHALDE]; Justicialist Party or PJ
(Peronist umbrella political organization); Radical Civic Union or
UCR [Roberto IGLESIAS]; Republican Initiative Alliance or PRO
(including Federal Recreate Movement or RECREAR [Ricardo LOPEZ
MURPHY] and Commitment for Change or CPC [Mauricio MACRI]);
Socialist Party or PS [Ruben GIUSTINIANI]; Union For All [Patricia
BULLRICH]; several provincial parties

Political pressure groups and leaders: Argentine Association of Pharmaceutical Labs (CILFA); Argentine Industrial Union (manufacturers' association); Argentine Rural Society (large landowners' association); business organizations; Central of Argentine Workers or CTA (a radical union for employed and unemployed workers); General Confederation of Labor or CGT (Peronist-leaning umbrella labor organization); Peronist-dominated labor movement; Piquetero groups (popular protest organizations that can be either pro or anti-government); Roman Catholic Church; students

International organization participation:
ABEDA, AfDB, Australia Group, BCIE, BIS, CAN (associate), CSN, FAO,
G-6, G-15, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
IPU, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, NSG,
OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UN Security Council (temporary),
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMOVIC, UNTSO, UPU, WCL,
WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jose Octavio BORDON
chancery: 1600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: (202) 238-6400
FAX: (202) 332-3171
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami,
New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Earl Anthony WAYNE
embassy: Avenida Colombia 4300, C1425GMN Buenos Aires
mailing address: international mail: use street address; APO
address: Unit 4334, APO AA 34034
telephone: (11) 5777-4533
FAX: (11) 5777-4240

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of light blue (top), white, and light
blue; centered in the white band is a radiant yellow sun with a
human face known as the Sun of May

Economy Argentina

Economy - overview:
Argentina benefits from rich natural resources, a highly literate
population, an export-oriented agricultural sector, and a
diversified industrial base. Over the past decade, however, the
country has suffered problems of inflation, external debt, capital
flight, and budget deficits. Growth in 2000 was a negative 0.8%, as
both domestic and foreign investors remained skeptical of the
government's ability to pay debts and maintain the peso's fixed
exchange rate with the US dollar. The economic situation worsened in
2001 with the widening of spreads on Argentine bonds, massive
withdrawals from the banks, and a further decline in consumer and
investor confidence. Government efforts to achieve a "zero deficit,"
to stabilize the banking system, and to restore economic growth
proved inadequate in the face of the mounting economic problems. The
peso's peg to the dollar was abandoned in January 2002, and the peso
was floated in February. The exchange rate plunged and real GDP fell
by 10.9% in 2002, but by mid-year the economy had stabilized, albeit
at a lower level. GDP expanded by about 9% per year from 2003 to
2005. Growth is being led by a revival in domestic demand, solid
exports, and favorable external conditions. The government boosted
spending ahead of the October 2005 midterm congressional elections,
but strong revenue performance allowed Argentina to maintain a
budget surplus. Inflation has been rising steadily and reached 12.3
percent in 2005.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$543.4 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$182 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
9.2% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$13,700 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 9.5% industry: 35.8% services: 54.7% (2004 est.)

Labor force: 15.34 million (2005 est.)

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

Unemployment rate:
11.6% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:
38.5% (June 2005)

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

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
52.2 (2001)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
9.6% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
21.5% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $42.63 billion
expenditures: $39.98 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2005 est.)

Public debt:
72.5% of GDP (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
sunflower seeds, lemons, soybeans, grapes, corn, tobacco, peanuts,
tea, wheat; livestock

Industries:
food processing, motor vehicles, consumer durables, textiles,
chemicals and petrochemicals, printing, metallurgy, steel

Industrial production growth rate:
7.7% (2005 est.)

Electricity - production:
87.16 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 52.2% hydro: 40.8% nuclear: 6.7% other: 0.2% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:
82.97 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
2.07 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
1.561 billion kWh (2004)

Oil - production:
745,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:
450,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day

Oil - proved reserves:
2.95 billion bbl (2005 est.)

Natural gas - production:
41.04 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
34.58 billion cu m (2003 est.)

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

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

Natural gas - proved reserves:
663.5 billion cu m (2005)

Current account balance:
$5.448 billion (2005 est.)

Exports:
$40 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
edible oils, fuels and energy, cereals, feed, motor vehicles

Exports - partners:
Brazil 15.3%, US 10.8%, Chile 10.5%, China 8.3% (2005)

Imports:
$28.8 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, metal
manufactures, plastics

Imports - partners:
Brazil 34.6%, US 16.8%, China 5.4%, Germany 5.3% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$28.09 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
$118.2 billion (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
$10 billion (2001 est.)

Currency (code):
Argentine peso (ARS)

Currency code:
ARS

Exchange rates:
Argentine pesos per US dollar - 2.9037 (2005), 2.9233 (2004),
2.9006 (2003), 3.0633 (2002), 0.9995 (2001)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Argentina

Telephones - main lines in use:
8.8 million (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
22.1 million (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: by opening the telecommunications market to
competition and foreign investment with the "Telecommunications
Liberalization Plan of 1998," Argentina encouraged the growth of
modern telecommunications technology; fiber-optic cable trunk lines
are being installed between all major cities; the major networks are
entirely digital and the availability of telephone service is
improving; however, telephone density is presently minimal, and
making telephone service universally available will take time
domestic: microwave radio relay, fiber-optic cable, and a domestic
satellite system with 40 earth stations serve the trunk network;
more than 110,000 pay telephones are installed and mobile telephone
use is rapidly expanding
international: country code - 54; satellite earth stations - 112;
Atlantis II and Unisur submarine cables; two international gateways
near Buenos Aires (2005)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 260 (including 10 inactive stations), FM NA (probably more than
1,000, mostly unlicensed), shortwave 6 (1998)

Radios:
24.3 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
42 (plus 444 repeaters) (1997)

Televisions:
7.95 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.ar

Internet hosts:
1,612,423 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
33 (2000)

Internet users:
10 million (2005)

Transportation Argentina

Airports: 1,381 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 154
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 26
1,524 to 2,437 m: 65
914 to 1,523 m: 50
under 914 m: 9 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1,227
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 49
914 to 1,523 m: 587
under 914 m: 587 (2006)

Pipelines:
gas 29,804 km; liquid petroleum gas 41 km; oil 10,373 km; refined
products 8,540 km; unknown (oil/water) 13 km (2006)

Railways:
total: 31,902 km
broad gauge: 20,858 km 1.676-m gauge (141 km electrified)
standard gauge: 2,885 km 1.435-m gauge (26 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 7,922 km 1.000-m gauge; 237 km 0.750-m gauge (2005)

Roadways:
total: 229,144 km
paved: 68,809 km (including 734 km of expressways)
unpaved: 160,335 km (2004)

Waterways:
11,000 km (2005)

Merchant marine:
total: 41 ships (1000 GRT or over) 435,969 GRT/707,767 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 10, chemical tanker 1, passenger 1,
passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 21, refrigerated cargo 2, roll
on/roll off 1
foreign-owned: 11 (Chile 6, UK 4, Uruguay 1)
registered in other countries: 24 (Bolivia 1, Chile 1, Liberia 7,
Panama 9, Paraguay 3, Uruguay 3) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Bahia Blanca, Buenos Aires, Concepcion del Uruguay, La Plata, Punta
Colorada, Rosario, San Lorenzo-San Martin, San Nicolas

Military Argentina

Military branches:
Argentine Army, Navy of the Argentine Republic (includes naval
aviation and naval infantry), Argentine Air Force (Fuerza Aerea
Argentina, FAA) (2005)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription
(2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 8,981,886
females age 18-49: 8,883,756 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 7,316,038
females age 18-49: 7,442,589 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 344,575
females age 18-49: 334,649 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$4.3 billion (FY99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.3% (FY00)

Military - note:
the Argentine military is a well-organized force constrained by the
country's prolonged economic hardship; the country has recently
experienced a strong recovery, and the military is now implementing
"Plan 2000," aimed at making the ground forces lighter and more
responsive (2005)

Transnational Issues Argentina

Disputes - international:
Argentina continues to assert its claims to the UK-administered
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia and the South
Sandwich Islands in its constitution, forcibly occupying the
Falklands in 1982, but in 1995 agreed no longer to seek settlement
by force; territorial claim in Antarctica partially overlaps UK and
Chilean claims (see Antarctic disputes); unruly region at
convergence of Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay borders is locus of money
laundering, smuggling, arms and illegal narcotics trafficking, and
fundraising for extremist organizations; uncontested dispute between
Brazil and Uruguay over Braziliera Island in the Quarai/Cuareim
River leaves the tripoint with Argentina in question; action by the
joint boundary commission, established by Chile and Argentina in
2001, for mapping and demarcating the disputed boundary in the
Andean Southern Ice Field (Campo de Hielo Sur) remains pending

Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Argentina is primarily a destination country for
women and children trafficked for sexual and labor exploitation with
most victims trafficked internally, from rural to urban areas, for
exploitation in prostitution; foreign women and children trafficked
for commercial sexual exploitation come primarily from Paraguay, but
also from Bolivia, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, and
Chile; Bolivians are trafficked for forced labor; Argentine women
and girls are also trafficked to neighboring countries for sexual
exploitation
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Argentina failed to show evidence
of increasing efforts to combat trafficking particularly in the key
area of prosecutions; government efforts to improve interagency
anti-trafficking coordination did not achieve significant progress
in moving cases against traffickers through the judicial system; the
government made progress in other areas, by submitting
anti-trafficking legislation to Congress in August 2005 and
sensitizing provincial and municipal government officials to the
trafficking problem

Illicit drugs:
used as a transshipment country for cocaine headed for Europe; some
money-laundering activity, especially in the Tri-Border Area;
domestic consumption of drugs in urban centers is increasing

This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006

@Armenia

Introduction Armenia

Background:
Armenia prides itself on being the first nation to formally adopt
Christianity (early 4th century). Despite periods of autonomy, over
the centuries Armenia came under the sway of various empires
including the Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Persian, and Ottoman. During
World War I in the western portion of Armenia, Ottoman Turkey
instituted a policy of forced resettlement coupled with other harsh
practices that resulted in an estimated 1 million Armenian deaths.
The eastern area of Armenia was ceded by the Ottomans to Russia in
1828; this portion declared its independence in 1918, but was
conquered by the Soviet Red Army in 1920. Armenian leaders remain
preoccupied by the long conflict with Muslim Azerbaijan over
Nagorno-Karabakh, a primarily Armenian-populated region, assigned to
Soviet Azerbaijan in the 1920s by Moscow. Armenia and Azerbaijan
began fighting over the area in 1988; the struggle escalated after
both countries attained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
By May 1994, when a cease-fire took hold, Armenian forces held not
only Nagorno-Karabakh but also a significant portion of Azerbaijan
proper. The economies of both sides have been hurt by their
inability to make substantial progress toward a peaceful resolution.
Turkey imposed an economic blockade on Armenia and closed the common
border because of the Armenian occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and
surrounding areas.

Geography Armenia

Location:
Southwestern Asia, east of Turkey

Geographic coordinates:
40 00 N, 45 00 E

Map references:
Asia

Area:
total: 29,800 sq km
land: 28,400 sq km
water: 1,400 sq km

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries:
total: 1,254 km
border countries: Azerbaijan-proper 566 km, Azerbaijan-Naxcivan
exclave 221 km, Georgia 164 km, Iran 35 km, Turkey 268 km

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
highland continental, hot summers, cold winters

Terrain:
Armenian Highland with mountains; little forest land; fast flowing
rivers; good soil in Aras River valley

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Debed River 400 m
highest point: Aragats Lerrnagagat' 4,090 m

Natural resources:
small deposits of gold, copper, molybdenum, zinc, alumina

Land use: arable land: 16.78% permanent crops: 2.01% other: 81.21% (2005)

Irrigated land:
2,860 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
occasionally severe earthquakes; droughts

Environment - current issues:
soil pollution from toxic chemicals such as DDT; the energy crisis
of the 1990s led to deforestation when citizens scavenged for
firewood; pollution of Hrazdan (Razdan) and Aras Rivers; the
draining of Sevana Lich (Lake Sevan), a result of its use as a
source for hydropower, threatens drinking water supplies; restart of
Metsamor nuclear power plant in spite of its location in a
seismically active zone

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

Geography - note:
landlocked in the Lesser Caucasus Mountains; Sevana Lich (Lake
Sevan) is the largest lake in this mountain range

People Armenia

Population:
2,976,372 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 20.5% (male 322,189/female 286,944)
15-64 years: 68.4% (male 949,975/female 1,085,484)
65 years and over: 11.1% (male 133,411/female 198,369) (2006 est.)

Median age:
total: 30.4 years
male: 27.8 years
female: 33.2 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
-0.19% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
12.07 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
8.23 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
-5.72 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.17 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.12 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.88 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
total population: 0.9 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 22.47 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 27.59 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 16.51 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.84 years
male: 68.25 years
female: 76.02 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.33 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
2,600 (2003 est.)

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

Nationality:
noun: Armenian(s)
adjective: Armenian

Ethnic groups:
Armenian 97.9%, Yezidi (Kurd) 1.3%, Russian 0.5%, other 0.3% (2001
census)

Religions:
Armenian Apostolic 94.7%, other Christian 4%, Yezidi (monotheist
with elements of nature worship) 1.3%

Languages:
Armenian 97.7%, Yezidi 1%, Russian 0.9%, other 0.4% (2001 census)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.6%
male: 99.4%
female: 98% (2003 est.)

Government Armenia

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Armenia
conventional short form: Armenia
local long form: Hayastani Hanrapetut'yun
local short form: Hayastan
former: Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic; Armenian Republic

Government type:
republic

Capital:
name: Yerevan
geographic coordinates: 40 11 N, 44 30 E
time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:
11 provinces (marzer, singular - marz); Aragatsotn, Ararat,
Armavir, Geghark'unik', Kotayk', Lorri, Shirak, Syunik', Tavush,
Vayots' Dzor, Yerevan

Independence:
21 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 21 September (1991)

Constitution:
adopted by nationwide referendum 5 July 1995; amendments adopted
through a nationwide referendum 27 November 2005

Legal system:
based on civil law system

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Robert KOCHARIAN (since 30 March 1998)
head of government: Prime Minister Andranik MARGARYAN (since 12 May
2000)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held 19 February and 5
March 2003 (next to be held in 2008); prime minister appointed by
the president and confirmed with the majority support of the
National Assembly; the prime minister and Council of Ministers must
resign if the National Assembly refuses to accept their program
election results: Robert KOCHARIAN reelected president; percent of
vote - Robert KOCHARIAN 67.5%, Stepan DEMIRCHYAN 32.5%

Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (Parliament) or Azgayin Zhoghov (131
seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms; 90
members elected by party list, 41 by direct vote)
elections: last held 25 May 2003 (next to be held in the spring of
2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - Republican Party 23.5%,
Justice Bloc 13.6%, Rule of Law 12.3%, ARF (Dashnak) 11.4%, National
Unity Party 8.8%, United Labor Party 5.7%; seats by faction -
Republican Party 39, Rule of Law 20, Justice Bloc 14, ARF (Dashnak)
11, National Unity 7, United Labor 6, People's Deputy Group 16,
independent (not in faction or group) 18; note - as of 10 March
2006; voting blocs in the legislature are more properly termed
factions and can be composed of members of several parties; seats by
faction change frequently as deputies switch parties or announce
themselves independent

Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court; Court of Cassation (Appeals Court)

Political parties and leaders:
Agro-Industrial Party [Vladimir BADALYAN]; Armenia Party [Myasnik
MALKHASYAN]; Armenian National Movement or ANM [Alex ARZUMANYAN,
chairman]; Armenian Ramkavar Liberal Party or HRAK [Harutyun
MIRZAKHANYAN, chairman]; Armenian Revolutionary Federation
("Dashnak" Party) or ARF [Levon MKRTCHYAN]; Democratic Party [Aram
SARKISYAN]; Justice Bloc (comprised of the Democratic Party,
National Democratic Party, National Democratic Union, the People's
Party, and the Republic Party) [Stepan DEMIRCHYAN]; National
Democratic Party [Shavarsh KOCHARIAN]; National Democratic Union or
NDU [Vazgen MANUKIAN]; National Revival Party [Albert BAZEYAN];
National Unity Party [Artashes GEGHAMYAN, chairman]; People's Party
of Armenia [Stepan DEMIRCHYAN]; Republic Party [Aram SARKISYAN,
chairman]; Republican Party or RPA [Andranik MARGARYAN]; Rule of Law
Party [Samvel BALASANYAN]; Union of Constitutional Rights [Hrant
KHACHATURYAN]; United Labor Party [Gurgen ARSENYAN]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Yerkrapah Union [Manvel GRIGORIAN]

International organization participation:
ACCT (observer), AsDB, BSEC, CE, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS
(observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Tatoul MARKARIAN
chancery: 2225 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: (202) 319-1976
FAX: (202) 319-2982
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Anthony F.
GODFREY
embassy: 1 American Ave., Yerevan 375082
mailing address: American Embassy Yerevan, US Department of State,
7020 Yerevan Place, Washington, DC 20521-7020
telephone: (10) 464-700
FAX: (10) 464-742

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, and orange

Economy Armenia