← The 2006 CIA World Factbook, Volume 2
Gwp (part 7)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 0.5% highest 10%: 42.4% (1991)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4% (2002 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA
Agriculture - products:
rice, corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), cashew nuts, peanuts, palm
kernels, cotton; timber; fish
Industries:
agricultural products processing, beer, soft drinks
Industrial production growth rate:
4.7% (2003 est.)
Electricity - production:
56 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:
52.08 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2003)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - consumption:
2,450 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:
$116 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities:
cashew nuts, shrimp, peanuts, palm kernels, sawn lumber
Exports - partners:
India 72%, Nigeria 17.1%, Ecuador 4% (2005)
Imports:
$176 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, petroleum products
Imports - partners:
Italy 25.3%, Senegal 18.6%, Portugal 15.8%, Cote d'Ivoire 4.3%
(2005)
Debt - external:
$941.5 million (2000 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
$115.4 million (1995)
Currency (code):
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible
authority is the Central Bank of the West African States
Currency code:
XOF; GWP
Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 527.47
(2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001)
note: since 1 January 1999, the XOF franc has been pegged to the
euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF francs per euro
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications Guinea-Bissau
Telephones - main lines in use:
10,600 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
67,000 (2005)
Telephone system:
general assessment: small system
domestic: combination of microwave radio relay, open-wire lines,
radiotelephone, and cellular communications
international: country code - 245
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1 (transmitter out of service), FM 4, shortwave 0 (2002)
Radios:
49,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
NA (2005)
Televisions:
NA
Internet country code:
.gw
Internet hosts:
5 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2002)
Internet users:
26,000 (2005)
Transportation Guinea-Bissau
Airports: 28 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 3
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 25
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 20 (2006)
Roadways:
total: 4,400 km
paved: 453 km
unpaved: 3,947 km (1999)
Waterways:
four largest rivers are navigable for some distance; many inlets
and creeks give shallow-water access to much of interior (2006)
Ports and terminals:
Bissau, Buba, Cacheu, Farim
Military Guinea-Bissau
Military branches:
People's Revolutionary Armed Force (FARP; includes Army, Navy, and
Air Force), paramilitary force
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service (2001)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 287,542
females age 18-49: 297,295 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 152,681
females age 18-49: 161,033 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$9.46 million (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
3.1% (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues Guinea-Bissau
Disputes - international:
attempts to stem refugees and cross-border raids, arms smuggling,
and political instability from a separatist movement in Senegal's
Casamance region
This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
@Guyana
Introduction Guyana
Background:
Originally a Dutch colony in the 17th century, by 1815 Guyana had
become a British possession. The abolition of slavery led to black
settlement of urban areas and the importation of indentured servants
from India to work the sugar plantations. This ethnocultural divide
has persisted and has led to turbulent politics. Guyana achieved
independence from the UK in 1966, and since then it has been ruled
mostly by socialist-oriented governments. In 1992, Cheddi JAGAN was
elected president in what is considered the country's first free and
fair election since independence. After his death five years later,
his wife, Jane JAGAN, became president but resigned in 1999 due to
poor health. Her successor, Bharrat JAGDEO, was reelected in 2001.
Geography Guyana
Location:
Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between
Suriname and Venezuela
Geographic coordinates:
5 00 N, 59 00 W
Map references:
South America
Area:
total: 214,970 sq km
land: 196,850 sq km
water: 18,120 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Idaho
Land boundaries: total: 2,462 km border countries: Brazil 1,119 km, Suriname 600 km, Venezuela 743 km
Coastline:
459 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the outer edge of the continental
margin
Climate:
tropical; hot, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy
seasons (May to August, November to January)
Terrain:
mostly rolling highlands; low coastal plain; savanna in south
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Roraima 2,835 m
Natural resources: bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish
Land use: arable land: 2.23% permanent crops: 0.14% other: 97.63% (2005)
Irrigated land:
1,500 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:
flash floods are a constant threat during rainy seasons
Environment - current issues:
water pollution from sewage and agricultural and industrial
chemicals; deforestation
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber
83, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
the third-smallest country in South America after Suriname and
Uruguay; substantial portions of its western and eastern territories
are claimed by Venezuela and Suriname respectively
People Guyana
Population:
767,245
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2006 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 26.2% (male 102,551/female 98,772)
15-64 years: 68.6% (male 265,193/female 260,892)
65 years and over: 5.2% (male 17,043/female 22,794) (2006 est.)
Median age:
total: 27.4 years
male: 26.9 years
female: 27.9 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.25% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:
18.28 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:
8.28 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:
-7.49 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: 0.75 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 32.19 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 35.8 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 28.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 65.86 years
male: 63.21 years
female: 68.65 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.04 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
2.5% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
11,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
1,100 (2003 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Guyanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Guyanese
Ethnic groups:
East Indian 50%, black 36%, Amerindian 7%, white, Chinese, and
mixed 7%
Religions:
Christian 50%, Hindu 35%, Muslim 10%, other 5%
Languages:
English, Amerindian dialects, Creole, Hindi, Urdu
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 98.8%
male: 99.1%
female: 98.5% (2003 est.)
Government Guyana
Country name:
conventional long form: Cooperative Republic of Guyana
conventional short form: Guyana
former: British Guiana
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Georgetown
geographic coordinates: 6 48 N, 58 10 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
10 regions; Barima-Waini, Cuyuni-Mazaruni, Demerara-Mahaica, East
Berbice-Corentyne, Essequibo Islands-West Demerara, Mahaica-Berbice,
Pomeroon-Supenaam, Potaro-Siparuni, Upper Demerara-Berbice, Upper
Takutu-Upper Essequibo
Independence:
26 May 1966 (from UK)
National holiday:
Republic Day, 23 February (1970)
Constitution:
6 October 1980
Legal system:
based on English common law with certain admixtures of Roman-Dutch
law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Bharrat JAGDEO (since 11 August 1999);
note - assumed presidency after resignation of President Janet JAGAN
and reelected in 2001, and again in 2006
head of government: Prime Minister Samuel HINDS (since October 1992,
except for a period as chief of state after the death of President
Cheddi JAGAN on 6 March 1997)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the president,
responsible to the legislature
elections: president elected by popular vote as leader of a party
list in parliamentary elections, which must be held at least every
five years (no term limits); elections last held 28 August 2006
(next to be held by August 2011); prime minister appointed by the
president
election results: President Bharrat JAGDEO reelected; percent of
vote 54.6%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (65 members elected by popular vote,
also not more than four non-elected non-voting ministers and two
non-elected non-voting parliamentary secretaries appointed by the
president; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 28 August 2006 (next to be held by August 2011)
election results: percent of vote by party - PPP/C 54.6%, PNC/R 34%,
AFC 8.1%, other 3.3%; seats by party - PPP/C 36, PNC/R 22, AFC 5,
other 2
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of Judicature, consisting of the High Court and the
Judicial Court of Appeal, with right of final appeal to the
Caribbean Court of Justice
Political parties and leaders:
Alliance for Change or AFC [Raphael TROTMAN and Khemraj RAMJATTAN];
Guyana Action Party or GAP [Paul HARDY]; Justice for All Party [C.N.
SHARMA]; People's National Congress/Reform or PNC/R [Robert Herman
Orlando CORBIN]; People's Progressive Party/Civic or PPP/C [Bharrat
JAGDEO]; Rise, Organize, and Rebuild or ROAR [Ravi DEV]; The United
Force or TUF [Manzoor NADIR]; The Unity Party [Joey JAGAN]; Vision
Guyana [Peter RAMSAROOP]; Working People's Alliance or WPA [Rupert
ROOPNARAINE]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Amerindian People's Association; Guyana Citizens Initiative; Guyana
Bar Association; Guyana Human Rights Association; Guyana Public
Service Union or GPSU; Private Sector Commission; Trades Union
Congress
International organization participation:
ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
IOM (observer), ISO (subscriber), ITU, LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OIC,
OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Bayney KARRAN
chancery: 2490 Tracy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: (202) 265-6900
FAX: (202) 232-1297
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador David M. ROBINSON embassy: 100 Young and Duke Streets, Kingston, Georgetown mailing address: P. O. Box 10507, Georgetown; US Embassy, 3170 Georgetown Place, Washington DC 20521-3170 telephone: 225-4900 through 4909 FAX: 225-8497
Flag description:
green, with a red isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side)
superimposed on a long, yellow arrowhead; there is a narrow, black
border between the red and yellow, and a narrow, white border
between the yellow and the green
Economy Guyana
Economy - overview:
The Guyanese economy exhibited moderate economic growth in 2001-02,
based on expansion in the agricultural and mining sectors, a more
favorable atmosphere for business initiatives, a more realistic
exchange rate, fairly low inflation, and the continued support of
international organizations. Growth slowed in 2003 and came back
gradually in 2004, buoyed largely by increased export earnings; it
slowed again in 2005. Chronic problems include a shortage of skilled
labor and a deficient infrastructure. The government is juggling a
sizable external debt against the urgent need for expanded public
investment. The bauxite mining sector should benefit in the near
term from restructuring and partial privatization. Export earnings
from agriculture and mining have fallen sharply, while the import
bill has risen, driven by higher energy prices. Guyana's entrance
into the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) in January 2006
might broaden the country's export market, primarily in the raw
materials sector.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$3.439 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$782 million (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-3% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$4,500 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 37% industry: 20.3% services: 42.7% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 418,000 (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
Unemployment rate:
9.1% (understated) (2000)
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6.9% (2005 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
34.4% of GDP (2005 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $320.1 million
expenditures: $362.6 million; including capital expenditures of
$93.4 million (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products: sugarcane, rice, wheat, vegetable oils; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish, shrimp
Industries:
bauxite, sugar, rice milling, timber, textiles, gold mining
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
779 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 99.4% hydro: 0.6% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:
724.5 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2003)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - consumption:
11,300 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:
$-112 million (2005 est.)
Exports:
$587.2 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities:
sugar, gold, bauxite/alumina, rice, shrimp, molasses, rum, timber
Exports - partners:
Canada 18.9%, US 18.9%, UK 11.7%, Portugal 8.1%, Jamaica 5.3%,
Trinidad and Tobago 4.2% (2005)
Imports:
$681.6 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities:
manufactures, machinery, petroleum, food
Imports - partners:
US 26.7%, Trinidad and Tobago 23.9%, Cuba 6.6%, UK 5%, China 4.1%
(2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$261 million (2005 est.)
Debt - external:
$1.2 billion (2002)
Economic aid - recipient:
$84 million (1995), Heavily Indebted Poor Country Initiative (HIPC)
$253 million (1997)
Currency (code):
Guyanese dollar (GYD)
Currency code:
GYD
Exchange rates:
Guyanese dollars per US dollar - 200.79 (2005), 198.31 (2004),
193.88 (2003), 190.67 (2002), 187.32 (2001)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications Guyana
Telephones - main lines in use:
110,100 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
281,400 (2005)
Telephone system:
general assessment: fair system for long-distance service
domestic: microwave radio relay network for trunk lines
international: country code - 592; tropospheric scatter to Trinidad;
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 3, FM 3, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios:
420,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 3 (one public station; two private stations which relay US satellite services) (1997)
Televisions:
46,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.gy
Internet hosts:
1,046 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
3 (2000)
Internet users:
160,000 (2005)
Transportation Guyana
Airports:
90 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 9
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
under 914 m: 6 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 81
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 14
under 914 m: 65 (2006)
Railways:
total: 187 km
standard gauge: 139 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 48 km 0.914-m gauge
note: all dedicated to ore transport (2001 est.)
Roadways:
total: 7,970 km
paved: 590 km
unpaved: 7,380 km (1999)
Waterways:
Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo rivers are navigable by oceangoing
vessels for 150 km, 100 km, and 80 km respectively (2005)
Merchant marine:
total: 7 ships (1000 GRT or over) 12,461 GRT/15,155 DWT
by type: cargo 5, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 1
foreign-owned: 1 (Germany 1)
registered in other countries: 4 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
3, unknown 1) (2006)
Ports and terminals:
Georgetown
Military Guyana
Military branches:
Guyana Defense Force: Ground Forces, Coast Guard, Air Corps (2006)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 206,098 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 137,964 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$6.48 million (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
0.9% (2003 est.)
Transnational Issues Guyana
Disputes - international:
all of the area west of the Essequibo (river) is claimed by
Venezuela preventing any discussion of a maritime boundary; Guyana
has expressed its intention to join Barbados in asserting claims
before UNCLOS that Trinidad and Tobago's maritime boundary with
Venezuela extends into their waters; Suriname claims a triangle of
land between the New and Kutari/Koetari rivers in a historic dispute
over the headwaters of the Courantyne; Guyana seeks arbitration
under provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)
to resolve the long-standing dispute with Suriname over the axis of
the territorial sea boundary in potentially oil-rich waters
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for narcotics from South America - primarily
Venezuela - to Europe and the US; producer of cannabis; rising money
laundering related to drug trafficking and human smuggling
This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
@Haiti
Introduction Haiti
Background:
The native Taino Amerindians - who inhabited the island of
Hispaniola when it was discovered by COLUMBUS in 1492 - were
virtually annihilated by Spanish settlers within 25 years. In the
early 17th century, the French established a presence on Hispaniola,
and in 1697, Spain ceded to the French the western third of the
island, which later became Haiti. The French colony, based on
forestry and sugar-related industries, became one of the wealthiest
in the Caribbean, but only through the heavy importation of African
slaves and considerable environmental degradation. In the late 18th
century, Haiti's nearly half million slaves revolted under Toussaint
L'OUVERTURE. After a prolonged struggle, Haiti became the first
black republic to declare its independence in 1804. The poorest
country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti has been plagued by
political violence for most of its history. After an armed rebellion
led to the departure of President Jean-Betrand ARISTIDE in February
2004, an interim government took office to organize new elections
under the auspices of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in
Haiti (MINUSTAH). Continued violence and technical delays have
prompted repeated postponements, and Haiti missed the
constitutionally-mandated presidential inauguration date of 7
February 2006.
Geography Haiti
Location:
Caribbean, western one-third of the island of Hispaniola, between
the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of the
Dominican Republic
Geographic coordinates:
19 00 N, 72 25 W
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 27,750 sq km
land: 27,560 sq km
water: 190 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Maryland
Land boundaries: total: 360 km border countries: Dominican Republic 360 km
Coastline: 1,771 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: to depth of exploitation
Climate:
tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds
Terrain:
mostly rough and mountainous
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Chaine de la Selle 2,680 m
Natural resources:
bauxite, copper, calcium carbonate, gold, marble, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 28.11%
permanent crops: 11.53%
other: 60.36% (2005)
Irrigated land:
920 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:
lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe
storms from June to October; occasional flooding and earthquakes;
periodic droughts
Environment - current issues:
extensive deforestation (much of the remaining forested land is
being cleared for agriculture and used as fuel); soil erosion;
inadequate supplies of potable water
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the
Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Hazardous Wastes
Geography - note:
shares island of Hispaniola with Dominican Republic (western
one-third is Haiti, eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic)
People Haiti
Population:
8,308,504
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2006 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 42.4% (male 1,770,523/female 1,749,853)
15-64 years: 54.2% (male 2,201,957/female 2,301,886)
65 years and over: 3.4% (male 125,298/female 158,987) (2006 est.)
Median age:
total: 18.2 years
male: 17.8 years
female: 18.6 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.3% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:
36.44 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:
12.17 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:
-1.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 71.65 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 78.01 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 65.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 53.23 years
male: 51.89 years
female: 54.6 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:
4.94 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
5.6% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
280,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
24,000 (2003 est.)
Nationality: noun: Haitian(s) adjective: Haitian
Ethnic groups:
black 95%, mulatto and white 5%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 16% (Baptist 10%, Pentecostal 4%,
Adventist 1%, other 1%), none 1%, other 3%
note: roughly half of the population practices Voodoo
Languages:
French (official), Creole (official)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 52.9%
male: 54.8%
female: 51.2% (2003 est.)
Government Haiti
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Haiti
conventional short form: Haiti
local long form: Republique d'Haiti/Repiblik d' Ayiti
local short form: Haiti/Ayiti
Government type:
elected government
Capital:
name: Port-au-Prince
geographic coordinates: 18 32 N, 72 20 W
time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard
Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in April; ends last
Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
10 departments (departements, singular - departement); Artibonite,
Centre, Grand 'Anse, Nippes, Nord, Nord-Est, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud,
Sud-Est
Independence:
1 January 1804 (from France)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 1 January (1804)
Constitution:
approved March 1987; suspended June 1988 with most articles
reinstated March 1989; constitutional government ousted in a
military coup in September 1991, although in October 1991, military
government claimed to be observing the constitution; returned to
constitutional rule in October 1994; constitution remains
technically in force but has not been observed since Aristide's
departure in 2004
Legal system:
based on Roman civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Rene PREVAL (since 14 May 2006)
head of government: Prime Minister Jacques-Edouard ALEXIS (since 30
May 2006)
cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with
the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
(may not serve consecutive terms); election last held 7 February
2006 (next to be held in 2011); prime minister appointed by the
president, ratified by the National Assembly
election results: Rene PREVAL elected president; percent of vote -
Rene PREVAL 51%
Legislative branch:
bicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale consists of the
Senate (30 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve six-year
terms; one-third elected every two years) and the Chamber of
Deputies (99 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve
four-year terms); note - in reestablishing the Senate, the candidate
in each department receiving the most votes in the last election
serves six years, the candidate with the second most votes serves
four years, and the candidate with the third most votes serves two
years
elections: Senate - last held 21 April 2006, run-off elections to be
determined (next regular election, for one third of seats, to be
held in 2008); Chamber of Deputies - last held 21 April 2006,
run-off elections to be determined (next regular election to be held
in 2010)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - L'ESPWA 11, OPL 4, FL 3, FUSION 3, LAAA 2, UNCRH 2, ALYANS
1, PONT 1, 3 seats subject to run-off election; Chamber of Deputies
- percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - L'ESPWA 19, FUSION
15, ALYANS 10, OPL 8, FL 6, UNCRH 6, MPH 4, RDNP 4, LAAA 3,KONBA 3,
FRN 1, MOCHRENHA 1, MRN 1, Tet-Ansanm 1, MIRN 1, JPDN 1, UNITE 1,
PLH 1, 13 seats subject to run-off election
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Cour de Cassation
Political parties and leaders:
Artibonite in Action or LAAA [Youri LATORTUE]; Assembly of
Progressive National Democrats or RDNP [Leslie MANIGAT]; Convention
for Democratic Unity or KID [Evans PAUL]; Cooperative Action to
Build Haiti or KONBA [Evans LESCOUFALIR]; Democratic Alliance or
ALYANS (coalition composed of KID and PPRH) [Evans PAUL]; Effort and
Solidarity to Create an Alternative for the People or ESKAMP [Joseph
JASME]; For Us All or PONT [Jean-Marie CHERESTAL]; Front for Hope or
L'ESPWA (alliance of ESKAMP, PLB, and grass-roots organizations
Grand-Anse Resistance Committee, the Central Plateau Peasants'
Group, and Kombit Sudest) [Rene PREVAL]; Grand Center Right Front
coalition (composed of MDN, MRN, and PDCH) [Hubert de RONCERAY];
Haitian Christian Democratic Party or PDCH [Osner FEVRY and
Marie-Denise CLAUDE]; Haitian Democratic and Reform Movement or
MODEREH [Dany TOUSSAINT and Pierre Soncon PRINCE]; Heads Together or
Tet-Ansanm [Dr. Gerard BLOT]; Independent Movement for National
Reconciliation or MIRN [Luc FLEURINORD]; Justice for Peace and
National Development or JPDN [Rigaud DUPLAN]; Fanmi Lavalas or FL
[Rudy HERIVEAUX]; Liberal Party of Haiti or PLH [Gehy MICHEL];
Merging of Haitian Social Democratic Parties or FUSION or FPSDH
(merged Ayiti Capable, Haitian National Revolutionary Party, and
National Congress of Democratic Movements) [Serge GILLES];
Mobilization for Haiti's Development or MPH [Samir MOURRA];
Mobilization for National Development or MDN [Hubert de RONCERAY];
Movement for National Reconstruction or MRN [Jean Henold BUTEAU];
Movement for the Installation of Democracy in Haiti or MIDH [Marc
BAZIN]; National Christian Union for the Reconstruction of Haiti or
UNCRH [Marie Claude GERMAIN]; National Front for the Reconstruction
of Haiti or FRN [Guy PHILIPPE]; New Christian Movement for a New
Haiti or MOCHRENA [Luc MESADIEU]; Open the Gate Party or PLB [Anes
LUBIN]; Popular Party for the Renewal of Haiti or PPRH [Claude
ROMAIN and Daniel SUPPLICE]; Struggling People's Organization or OPL
[Edgard LEBLANC]; Union for Haiti or UPH (coalition of MIDH and FL)
[Marc BAZIN]; Union of Nationalist and Progressive Haitians or UNITE
[Edouard FRANCISQUE]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Autonomous Organizations of Haitian Workers or CATH [Fignole
ST-CYR]; Confederation of Haitian Workers or CTH; Federation of
Workers Trade Unions or FOS; Grand-Anse Resistance Committee, or
KOREGA; Group of 184 Civil Society Organizations, or G-184 [Andy
APAID]; National Popular Assembly or APN; Papaye Peasants Movement
or MPP [Chavannes JEAN-BAPTISTE]; Popular Organizations Gathering
Power or PROP; Roman Catholic Church; Protestant Federation of Haiti
International organization participation:
ACCT, ACP, Caricom, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
(signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, MIGA, OAS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), PCA,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Raymond JOSEPH (as of October 2005) chancery: 2311 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 332-4090 FAX: (202) 745-7215 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York, San Juan (Puerto Rico)
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Janet A. SANDERSON embassy: 5 Harry S Truman Boulevard, Bicentenaire-Port-au-Prince mailing address: P. O. Box 1761, Port-au-Prince telephone: 222-0200 FAX: 223-9038
Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a centered
white rectangle bearing the coat of arms, which contains a palm tree
flanked by flags and two cannons above a scroll bearing the motto
L'UNION FAIT LA FORCE (Union Makes Strength)
Economy Haiti
Economy - overview:
In this poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, 80% of the
population lives in abject poverty. Two-thirds of all Haitians
depend on the agriculture sector, mainly small-scale subsistence
farming, and remain vulnerable to damage from frequent natural
disasters, exacerbated by the country's widespread deforestation.
The economy grew 1.5% in 2005, the highest growth rate since 1999.
Haiti suffers from rampant inflation, a lack of investment, and a
severe trade deficit. In early 2005, Haiti paid its arrears to the
World Bank, paving the way for reengagement with the Bank. The
government is reliant on formal international economic assistance
for fiscal sustainability. Remittances are the primary source of
foreign exchange, equaling nearly a quarter of GDP in 2005.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$13.97 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$4.321 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
1.8% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,700 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 28% industry: 20% services: 52% (2004 est.)
Labor force: 3.6 million note: shortage of skilled labor, unskilled labor abundant (1995)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 66% industry: 9% services: 25%
Unemployment rate:
widespread unemployment and underemployment; more than two-thirds
of the labor force do not have formal jobs (2002 est.)
Population below poverty line:
80% (2003 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
15.7% (2005 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
27.4% of GDP (2004 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $400 million
expenditures: $600.8 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2005 est.)
Agriculture - products:
coffee, mangoes, sugarcane, rice, corn, sorghum; wood
Industries:
sugar refining, flour milling, textiles, cement, light assembly
industries based on imported parts
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
546 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 60.3% hydro: 39.7% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:
507.8 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2003)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - consumption:
11,800 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:
$23 million (2005 est.)
Exports:
$390.7 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities:
manufactures, coffee, oils, cocoa, mangoes
Exports - partners:
US 80.8%, Dominican Republic 6.9%, Canada 4% (2005)
Imports:
$1.471 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities:
food, manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, fuels,
raw materials
Imports - partners:
US 49.3%, Netherlands Antilles 12%, Colombia 3.2% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$100 million (2005 est.)
Debt - external:
$1.313 billion (2005 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
$153 million (FY05 est.)
Currency (code):
gourde (HTG)
Currency code:
HTG
Exchange rates:
gourdes per US dollar - 40.449 (2005), 38.352 (2004), 42.367
(2003), 29.251 (2002), 24.429 (2001)
Fiscal year:
1 October - 30 September
Communications Haiti
Telephones - main lines in use:
140,000 (2004)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
400,000 (2004)
Telephone system:
general assessment: domestic facilities barely adequate;
international facilities slightly better
domestic: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay trunk service
international: country code - 509; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 41, FM 26, shortwave 0 (1999)
Radios:
415,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
2 (plus a cable TV service) (1997)
Televisions:
38,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.ht
Internet hosts:
6 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
3 (2000)
Internet users:
500,000 (2005)
Transportation Haiti
Airports:
12 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 8
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 7 (2006)
Roadways:
total: 4,160 km
paved: 1,011 km
unpaved: 3,149 km (1999)
Ports and terminals:
Cap-Haitien
Military Haiti
Military branches:
the regular Haitian Armed Forces (FAdH) - Army, Navy, and Air Force
- have been demobilized but still exist on paper unless they are
constitutionally abolished
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary recruitment into the police force
(2001)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,626,491
females age 18-49: 1,637,657 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 948,320
females age 18-49: 931,972 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 98,554
females age 18-49: 97,690 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$25.96 million (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
0.9% (2003 est.)
Transnational Issues Haiti
Disputes - international:
since 2004, about 8,000 peacekeepers from the UN Stabilization
Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) maintain civil order in Haiti; despite
efforts to control illegal migration, Haitians fleeing economic
privation and civil unrest continue to cross into the Dominican
Republic and sail to neighboring countries; Haiti claims
US-administered Navassa Island
Illicit drugs:
Caribbean transshipment point for cocaine en route to the US and
Europe; substantial money-laundering activity; Colombian narcotics
traffickers favor Haiti for illicit financial transactions;
pervasive corruption
This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
@Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Introduction Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Background:
These uninhabited, barren, sub-Antarctic islands were transferred
from the UK to Australia in 1947. Populated by large numbers of seal
and bird species, the islands have been designated a nature preserve.
Geography Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Location:
islands in the Indian Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from
Madagascar to Antarctica
Geographic coordinates:
53 06 S, 72 31 E
Map references:
Antarctic Region
Area:
total: 412 sq km
land: 412 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly more than two times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
101.9 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Climate:
antarctic
Terrain:
Heard Island - 80% ice-covered, bleak and mountainous, dominated by
a large massif (Big Ben) and an active volcano (Mawson Peak);
McDonald Islands - small and rocky
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Mawson Peak, on Big Ben 2,745 m
Natural resources: fish
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005)
Irrigated land:
0 sq km
Natural hazards:
Mawson Peak, an active volcano, is on Heard Island
Environment - current issues:
NA
People Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Population: uninhabited (July 2006 est.)
Government Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Country name:
conventional long form: Territory of Heard Island and McDonald
Islands
conventional short form: Heard Island and McDonald Islands
abbreviation: HIMI
Dependency status:
territory of Australia; administered from Canberra by the
Australian Antarctic Division of the Department of the Environment
and Heritage
Legal system:
the laws of Australia, where applicable, apply
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (territory of Australia)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (territory of Australia)
Flag description:
the flag of Australia is used
Economy Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Economy - overview:
No indigenous economic activity, but the Australian Government
allows limited fishing around the islands.
Communications Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Internet country code: .hm
Transportation Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Ports and terminals: none; offshore anchorage only
Military Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of Australia; Australia conducts
fisheries patrols
Transnational Issues Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Disputes - international: none
This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
@Holy See (Vatican City)
Introduction Holy See (Vatican City)
Background:
Popes in their secular role ruled portions of the Italian peninsula
for more than a thousand years until the mid 19th century, when many
of the Papal States were seized by the newly united Kingdom of
Italy. In 1870, the pope's holdings were further circumscribed when
Rome itself was annexed. Disputes between a series of "prisoner"
popes and Italy were resolved in 1929 by three Lateran Treaties,
which established the independent state of Vatican City and granted
Roman Catholicism special status in Italy. In 1984, a concordat
between the Holy See and Italy modified certain of the earlier
treaty provisions, including the primacy of Roman Catholicism as the
Italian state religion. Present concerns of the Holy See include
religious freedom, international development, the Middle East,
terrorism, interreligious dialogue and reconciliation, and the
application of church doctrine in an era of rapid change and
globalization. About 1 billion people worldwide profess the Catholic
faith.
Geography Holy See (Vatican City)
Location:
Southern Europe, an enclave of Rome (Italy)
Geographic coordinates:
41 54 N, 12 27 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 0.44 sq km
land: 0.44 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
about 0.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries: total: 3.2 km border countries: Italy 3.2 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
temperate; mild, rainy winters (September to May) with hot, dry
summers (May to September)
Terrain:
urban; low hill
Elevation extremes: lowest point: unnamed location 19 m highest point: unnamed location 75 m
Natural resources: none
Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (urban area) (2005)
Irrigated land:
0 sq km
Natural hazards:
NA
Environment - current issues:
NA
Environment - international agreements:
party to: none of the selected agreements
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution, Environmental Modification
Geography - note:
landlocked; enclave in Rome, Italy; world's smallest state; beyond
the territorial boundary of Vatican City, the Lateran Treaty of 1929
grants the Holy See extraterritorial authority over 23 sites in Rome
and five outside of Rome, including the Pontifical Palace at Castel
Gandolfo (the Pope's summer residence)
People Holy See (Vatican City)
Population:
932 (July 2006 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.01% (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: none
adjective: none
Ethnic groups:
Italians, Swiss, other
Religions:
Roman Catholic
Languages:
Italian, Latin, French, various other languages
Literacy: definition: NA total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100%
Government Holy See (Vatican City)
Country name:
conventional long form: The Holy See (State of the Vatican City)
conventional short form: Holy See (Vatican City)
local long form: Santa Sede (Stato della Citta del Vaticano)
local short form: Santa Sede (Citta del Vaticano)
Government type:
ecclesiastical
Capital:
name: Vatican City
geographic coordinates: 41 54 N, 12 27 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:
none
Independence:
11 February 1929 (from Italy); note - the three treaties signed
with Italy on 11 February 1929 acknowledged, among other things, the
full sovereignty of the Vatican and established its territorial
extent; however, the origin of the Papal States, which over the
years have varied considerably in extent, may be traced back to the
8th century
National holiday:
Coronation Day of Pope BENEDICT XVI, 24 April (2005)
Constitution:
new Fundamental Law promulgated by Pope JOHN PAUL II on 26 November
2000, effective 22 February 2001 (replaces the first Fundamental Law
of 1929)
Legal system:
based on Code of Canon Law and revisions to it
Suffrage:
limited to cardinals less than 80 years old
Executive branch:
chief of state: Pope BENEDICT XVI (since 19 April 2005)
head of government: Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio BERTONE
(since 15 September 2006)
cabinet: Pontifical Commission appointed by the pope
elections: pope elected for life by the College of Cardinals;
election last held 19 April 2005 (next to be held after the death of
the current pope); secretary of state appointed by the pope
election results: Joseph RATZINGER elected Pope BENEDICT XVI
Legislative branch:
unicameral Pontifical Commission
Judicial branch:
there are three tribunals responsible for civil and criminal
matters within Vatican City; three other tribunals rule on issues
pertaining to the Holy See
note: judicial duties were established by the Motu Proprio of Pope
PIUS XII on 1 May 1946
Political parties and leaders:
none
Political pressure groups and leaders:
none (exclusive of influence exercised by church officers)
International organization participation:
CE (observer), IAEA, ICFTU, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM (guest), OAS
(observer), OPCW, OSCE, UN (observer), UNCTAD, UNHCR, UPU, WIPO,
WToO (observer), WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Pietro SAMBI chancery: 3339 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 333-7121 FAX: (202) 337-4036
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Francis ROONEY embassy: Villa Domiziana, Via delle Terme Deciane 26, 00153 Rome mailing address: PSC 59, Box 66, APO AE 09624 telephone: (06) 4674-3428 FAX: (06) 575-8346
Flag description:
two vertical bands of yellow (hoist side) and white with the arms
of the Holy See, consisting of the crossed keys of Saint Peter
surmounted by the three-tiered papal tiara, centered in the white
band
Economy Holy See (Vatican City)
Economy - overview:
This unique, noncommercial economy is supported financially by an
annual contribution from Roman Catholic dioceses throughout the
world (known as Peter's Pence); by the sale of postage stamps,
coins, medals, and tourist mementos; by fees for admission to
museums; and by the sale of publications. Investments and real
estate income also account for a sizable portion of revenue. The
incomes and living standards of lay workers are comparable to those
of counterparts who work in the city of Rome.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$NA
Labor force:
NA
Labor force - by occupation:
note: essentially services with a small amount of industry;
dignitaries, priests, nuns, guards, and 3,000 lay workers live
outside the Vatican
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Budget:
revenues: $245.2 million
expenditures: $260.4 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2002)
Industries:
printing; production of coins, medals, postage stamps; a small
amount of mosaics and staff uniforms; worldwide banking and
financial activities
Electricity - production:
NA kWh
Electricity - consumption:
NA kWh
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh
Electricity - imports:
NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by Italy
Economic aid - recipient:
$0
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 Holy See (Vatican City)
Telephones - main lines in use:
5,120 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
NA
Telephone system:
general assessment: automatic digital exchange
domestic: connected via fiber optic cable to Telecom Italia network
international: country code - 39; uses Italian system
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 4, FM 3, shortwave 2 (2004)
Radios:
NA
Television broadcast stations:
1 (2005)
Televisions:
NA
Internet country code:
.va
Internet hosts:
45 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
NA
Internet users:
93 (2000)
Military Holy See (Vatican City)
Military branches:
Pontifical Swiss Guard (Corpo della Guardia Svizzera Pontificia)
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of Italy; ceremonial and limited
security duties performed by Pontifical Swiss Guard
Transnational Issues Holy See (Vatican City)
Disputes - international: none
This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
@Honduras
Introduction Honduras
Background:
Once part of Spain's vast empire in the New World, Honduras became
an independent nation in 1821. After two and a half decades of
mostly military rule, a freely elected civilian government came to
power in 1982. During the 1980s, Honduras proved a haven for
anti-Sandinista contras fighting the Marxist Nicaraguan Government
and an ally to Salvadoran Government forces fighting leftist
guerrillas. The country was devastated by Hurricane Mitch in 1998,
which killed about 5,600 people and caused approximately $2 billion
in damage.
Geography Honduras
Location:
Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and
Nicaragua and bordering the Gulf of Fonseca (North Pacific Ocean),
between El Salvador and Nicaragua
Geographic coordinates:
15 00 N, 86 30 W
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 112,090 sq km
land: 111,890 sq km
water: 200 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Tennessee
Land boundaries:
total: 1,520 km
border countries: Guatemala 256 km, El Salvador 342 km, Nicaragua
922 km
Coastline:
820 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: natural extension of territory or to 200 nm
Climate:
subtropical in lowlands, temperate in mountains
Terrain:
mostly mountains in interior, narrow coastal plains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Cerro Las Minas 2,870 m
Natural resources:
timber, gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, iron ore, antimony, coal,
fish, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 9.53% permanent crops: 3.21% other: 87.26% (2005)
Irrigated land:
800 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:
frequent, but generally mild, earthquakes; extremely susceptible to
damaging hurricanes and floods along the Caribbean coast
Environment - current issues:
urban population expanding; deforestation results from logging and
the clearing of land for agricultural purposes; further land
degradation and soil erosion hastened by uncontrolled development
and improper land use practices such as farming of marginal lands;
mining activities polluting Lago de Yojoa (the country's largest
source of fresh water), as well as several rivers and streams, with
heavy metals
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
has only a short Pacific coast but a long Caribbean shoreline,
including the virtually uninhabited eastern Mosquito Coast
People Honduras
Population:
7,326,496
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower
population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2006 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 39.9% (male 1,491,170/female 1,429,816)
15-64 years: 56.7% (male 2,076,727/female 2,077,975)
65 years and over: 3.4% (male 113,747/female 137,061) (2006 est.)
Median age:
total: 19.5 years
male: 19.1 years
female: 19.8 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.16% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:
28.24 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:
5.28 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:
-1.39 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 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 25.82 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 29 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 22.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.33 years
male: 67.75 years
female: 70.98 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.59 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.8% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
63,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
4,100 (2003 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Honduran(s)
adjective: Honduran
Ethnic groups:
mestizo (mixed Amerindian and European) 90%, Amerindian 7%, black
2%, white 1%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 97%, Protestant 3%
Languages:
Spanish, Amerindian dialects
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 76.2%
male: 76.1%
female: 76.3% (2003 est.)
Government Honduras
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Honduras
conventional short form: Honduras
local long form: Republica de Honduras
local short form: Honduras
Government type:
democratic constitutional republic
Capital:
name: Tegucigalpa
geographic coordinates: 14 06 N, 87 13 W
time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard
Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends
first Sunday in November; note - these new dates become effective in
2007
Administrative divisions:
18 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Atlantida,
Choluteca, Colon, Comayagua, Copan, Cortes, El Paraiso, Francisco
Morazan, Gracias a Dios, Intibuca, Islas de la Bahia, La Paz,
Lempira, Ocotepeque, Olancho, Santa Barbara, Valle, Yoro
Independence:
15 September 1821 (from Spain)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
Constitution:
11 January 1982, effective 20 January 1982; amended 1995
Legal system:
rooted in Roman and Spanish civil law with increasing influence of
English common law; recent judicial reforms include abandoning
Napoleonic legal codes in favor of the oral adversarial system;
accepts ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Manuel ZELAYA Rosales (since 27 January
2006); First Vice President Elvin Ernesto SANTOS Ordonez (since 27
January 2006); Second Vice President (vacant); Third Vice President
(vacant); note - the president is both the chief of state and head
of government
head of government: President Manuel ZELAYA Rosales (since 27
January 2006); First Vice President Elvin Ernesto SANTOS Ordonez
(since 27 January 2006); Second Vice President (vacant); Third Vice
President (vacant)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term;
election last held 27 November 2005 (next to be held November 2009)
election results: Manuel ZELAYA Rosales (PL) elected president -
49.8%, Porfirio "Pepe" LOBO Sosa (PN) 46.1%, other 4.1%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional (128 seats;
members are elected proportionally to the number of votes their
party's presidential candidate receives to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 27 November 2005 (next to be held November 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PL
62, PN 55, PUD 5, PDC 4, PINU 2
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (judges are
elected for seven-year terms by the National Congress)
Political parties and leaders:
Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Saul ESCOBAR Andrade];
Democratic Unification Party or PUD [Matias FUNES]; Liberal Party or
PL [Patricia RODAS]; National Innovation and Unity Party or PINU
[Olban F. VALLADARES]; National Party of Honduras or PN [Gilberto
GOLDSTEIN]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Committee for the Defense of Human Rights in Honduras or CODEH;
Confederation of Honduran Workers or CTH; Coordinating Committee of
Popular Organizations or CCOP; General Workers Confederation or CGT;
Honduran Council of Private Enterprise or COHEP; National
Association of Honduran Campesinos or ANACH; National Union of
Campesinos or UNC; Popular Bloc or BP; United Confederation of
Honduran Workers or CUTH
International organization participation:
BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM,
IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO
(subscriber), ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, NAM, OAS,
OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Roberto FLORES Bermudez chancery: Suite 4-M, 3007 Tilden Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 966-7702 FAX: (202) 966-9751 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Phoenix, San Francisco honorary consulate(s): Boston, Detroit, Jacksonville
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Charles A. FORD embassy: Avenida La Paz, Apartado Postal No. 3453, Tegucigalpa mailing address: American Embassy, APO AA 34022, Tegucigalpa telephone: 236-9320, 238-5114 FAX: 236-9037
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, and blue with
five blue, five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern centered in
the white band; the stars represent the members of the former
Federal Republic of Central America - Costa Rica, El Salvador,
Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua; similar to the flag of El
Salvador, which features a round emblem encircled by the words
REPUBLICA DE EL SALVADOR EN LA AMERICA CENTRAL centered in the white
band; also similar to the flag of Nicaragua, which features a
triangle encircled by the word REPUBLICA DE NICARAGUA on top and
AMERICA CENTRAL on the bottom, centered in the white band
Economy Honduras
Economy - overview:
Honduras, one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere
with an extraordinarily unequal distribution of income and massive
unemployment, is banking on expanded trade under the US-Central
America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) and on debt relief under the
Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. The country has
met most of its macroeconomic targets, and began a three-year IMF
Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PGRF) program in February
2004. Growth remains dependent on the economy of the US, its largest
trading partner, on continued exports of non-traditional
agricultural products (such as melons, chiles, tilapia, and shrimp),
and on reduction of the high crime rate.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$20.61 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$7.812 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
4.2% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$2,900 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 13.9% industry: 31.2% services: 54.9% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 2.54 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 34% industry: 21% services: 45% (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate:
28% (2005 est.)
Population below poverty line:
53% (1993 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 0.6% highest 10%: 42.7% (1998)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
55 (1999)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
8.8% (2005 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
23.2% of GDP (2005 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $1.693 billion
expenditures: $1.938 billion; including capital expenditures of $106
million (2005 est.)
Public debt:
68.4% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products:
bananas, coffee, citrus; beef; timber; shrimp
Industries:
sugar, coffee, textiles, clothing, wood products
Industrial production growth rate:
7.7% (2003 est.)
Electricity - production:
4.338 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 50.2% hydro: 49.8% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:
4.369 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports:
335 million kWh (2003)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - consumption:
37,000 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.)
Current account balance:
$-42.3 million (2005 est.)
Exports:
$1.726 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities:
coffee, shrimp, bananas, gold, palm oil, fruit, lobster, lumber
Exports - partners:
US 73.2%, Guatemala 2.9%, El Salvador 2.9% (2005)
Imports:
$4.161 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and transport equipment, industrial raw materials,
chemical products, fuels, foodstuffs (2000)
Imports - partners:
US 53.1%, Guatemala 6.5%, El Salvador 4.1% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$2.339 billion (2005 est.)
Debt - external:
$5.795 billion (2005 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
$557.8 million (1999)
Currency (code):
lempira (HNL)
Currency code:
HNL
Exchange rates:
lempiras per US dollar - 18.92 (2005), 18.206 (2004), 17.345
(2003), 16.433 (2002), 15.474 (2001)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications Honduras
Telephones - main lines in use:
494,400 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
1.282 million (2005)
Telephone system:
general assessment: inadequate system
domestic: NA
international: country code - 504; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to Central American Microwave
System
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 241, FM 53, shortwave 12 (1998)
Radios:
2.45 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
11 (plus 17 repeaters) (1997)
Televisions:
570,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.hn
Internet hosts:
3,973 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
8 (2000)
Internet users:
223,000 (2005)
Transportation Honduras
Airports: 116 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 11 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 3 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 105 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 19 under 914 m: 84 (2006)
Railways: total: 699 km narrow gauge: 279 km 1.067-m gauge; 420 km 0.914-m gauge (2005)
Roadways: total: 13,603 km paved: 2,775 km unpaved: 10,828 km (1999)
Waterways:
465 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2005)
Merchant marine:
total: 136 ships (1000 GRT or over) 405,984 GRT/557,179 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 11, cargo 61, chemical tanker 5, container 1,
liquefied gas 1, livestock carrier 1, passenger 5, passenger/cargo
9, petroleum tanker 29, refrigerated cargo 8, roll on/roll off 4,
specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned: 43 (Canada 1, China 3, Egypt 4, Greece 3, Hong Kong
2, Israel 1, Japan 4, South Korea 6, Lebanon 1, Mexico 1, Qatar 1,
Singapore 11, Taiwan 2, Tanzania 1, US 1, Vietnam 1) (2006)
Ports and terminals:
Puerto Castilla, Puerto Cortes, San Lorenzo, Tela
Military Honduras
Military branches:
Army, Navy (includes naval infantry), Honduran Air Force (Fuerza
Aerea Hondurena, FAH) (2006)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary two-three year military service (2004)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,537,232
females age 18-49: 1,515,120 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,100,991
females age 18-49: 1,121,649 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 82,105
females age 18-49: 78,971 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$52.8 million (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.55% (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues Honduras
Disputes - international:
in 1992, International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled on the
delimitation of "bolsones" (disputed areas) along the El
Salvador-Honduras border, but despite Organization of American
States (OAS) intervention and a further ICJ ruling in 2003, full
demarcation of the border remains stalled; the 1992 ICJ ruling
advised a tripartite resolution to a maritime boundary in the Gulf
of Fonseca with consideration of Honduran access to the Pacific; El
Salvador continues to claim tiny Conejo Island, not mentioned in the
ICJ ruling, off Honduras in the Gulf of Fonseca; Honduras claims
Sapodilla Cays off the coast of Belize, but agreed to creation of a
joint ecological park and Guatemalan corridor in the Caribbean in
the failed 2002 Belize-Guatemala Differendum, which the OAS is
attempting to revive; Nicaragua filed a claim against Honduras in
1999 and against Colombia in 2001 at the ICJ over a complex dispute
over islands and maritime boundaries in the Caribbean Sea
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for drugs and narcotics; illicit producer of
cannabis, cultivated on small plots and used principally for local
consumption; corruption is a major problem; some money-laundering
activity
This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
@Hong Kong
Introduction Hong Kong
Background:
Occupied by the UK in 1841, Hong Kong was formally ceded by China
the following year; various adjacent lands were added later in the
19th century. Pursuant to an agreement signed by China and the UK on
19 December 1984, Hong Kong became the Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region (SAR) of China on 1 July 1997. In this
agreement, China has promised that, under its "one country, two
systems" formula, China's socialist economic system will not be
imposed on Hong Kong and that Hong Kong will enjoy a high degree of
autonomy in all matters except foreign and defense affairs for the
next 50 years.
Geography Hong Kong
Location:
Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China
Geographic coordinates:
22 15 N, 114 10 E
Map references:
Southeast Asia
Area:
total: 1,092 sq km
land: 1,042 sq km
water: 50 sq km
Area - comparative:
six times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: total: 30 km regional border: China 30 km
Coastline:
733 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 3 nm
Climate:
subtropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from
spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall
Terrain:
hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north
Elevation extremes: lowest point: South China Sea 0 m highest point: Tai Mo Shan 958 m
Natural resources: outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar
Land use: arable land: 5.05% permanent crops: 1.01% other: 93.94% (2001)
Irrigated land:
20 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
occasional typhoons
Environment - current issues:
air and water pollution from rapid urbanization
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Marine Dumping (associate member)
Geography - note:
more than 200 islands
People Hong Kong
Population:
6,940,432 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 13.5% (male 488,607/female 445,593)
15-64 years: 73.7% (male 2,495,679/female 2,620,336)
65 years and over: 12.8% (male 413,031/female 477,186) (2006 est.)
Median age:
total: 40.7 years
male: 40.4 years
female: 40.9 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.59% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:
7.29 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:
6.29 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:
4.89 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 2.95 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 3.13 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 2.75 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 81.59 years
male: 78.9 years
female: 84.5 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:
0.95 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: Chinese/Hong Konger
adjective: Chinese/Hong Kong
Ethnic groups:
Chinese 95%, other 5%
Religions:
eclectic mixture of local religions 90%, Christian 10%
Languages:
Chinese (Cantonese), English; both are official
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 93.5%
male: 96.9%
female: 89.6% (2002)
Government Hong Kong
Country name:
conventional long form: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
conventional short form: Hong Kong
local long form: Xianggang Tebie Xingzhengqu
local short form: Xianggang
abbreviation: HK
Dependency status:
special administrative region of China
Government type:
limited democracy
Administrative divisions:
none (special administrative region of China)
Independence:
none (special administrative region of China)
National holiday:
National Day (Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic
of China), 1 October (1949); note - 1 July 1997 is celebrated as
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day
Constitution:
Basic Law, approved in March 1990 by China's National People's
Congress, is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution"
Legal system:
based on English common law
Suffrage:
direct election 18 years of age; universal for permanent residents
living in the territory of Hong Kong for the past seven years;
indirect election limited to about 200,000 members of functional
constituencies and an 800-member election committee drawn from broad
regional groupings, municipal organizations, and central government
bodies
Executive branch:
chief of state: President of China HU Jintao (since 15 March 2003)
head of government: Chief Executive Donald TSANG (since 24 June 2005)
cabinet: Executive Council consists of 14 official members and 15
non-official members
elections: previous chief executive TUNG Chee-hwa was elected to
second five-year term in March 2002 by 800-member election committee
dominated by pro-Beijing forces, resignation accepted 12 March 2005;
Donald TSANG acted as chief executive between 12 March 2005 and 25
May 2005; Henry TANG acted as chief executive between 25 May 2005
and 24 June 2005; TSANG was elected on 16 June 2005 to fill final
two years of TUNG's term (next election to be held in March 2007)
Legislative branch:
unicameral Legislative Council or LEGCO (60 seats; in 2004 30 seats
indirectly elected by functional constituencies, 30 elected by
popular vote; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 12 September 2004 (next to be held in September
2008)
election results: percent of vote by party - pro-democracy group
62%; seats by party - (pro-Beijing 34) DAB 12, Liberal Party 10,
independents 11, FTU 1; (pro-democracy 25) independents 11,
Democratic Party 9, CTU 2, ADPL 1, Frontier Party 1, NWSC 1;
non-voting LEGCO president 1
Judicial branch:
Court of Final Appeal in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Political parties and leaders:
Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood or ADPL
[Frederick FUNG Kin-kee]; Citizens Party [Alex CHAN Kai-chung];
Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong or
DAB [MA Lik]; Democratic Party [LEE Wing-tat]; Frontier Party [Emily
LAU Wai-hing]; Liberal Party [James TIEN Pei-chun]
note: political blocs include: pro-democracy - ADPL, Democratic
Party, Frontier Party; pro-Beijing - DAB, Liberal Party
Political pressure groups and leaders: Article 45 Concern Group (pro-democracy); Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (pro-China); Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong; Confederation of Trade Unions or CTU (pro-democracy) [LAU Chin-shek, president; LEE Cheuk-yan, general secretary]; Federation of Hong Kong Industries; Federation of Trade Unions or FTU (pro-China) [CHENG Yiu-tong, executive councilor]; Hong Kong Alliance in Support of the Patriotic Democratic Movement in China [Szeto WAH, chairman]; Hong Kong and Kowloon Trade Union Council (pro-Taiwan); Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce; Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union [CHEUNG Man-kwong, president]; Neighborhood and Workers' Service Center or NWSC (pro-democracy); The Alliance [Bernard CHAN, exco member]
International organization participation: APEC, AsDB, BIS, ICC, ICFTU, IHO, IMF, IMO (associate), IOC, ISO (correspondent), UPU, WCL, WCO, WMO, WToO (associate), WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (special administrative region of China)
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Consul General James B. CUNNINGHAM consulate(s) general: 26 Garden Road, Hong Kong mailing address: PSC 461, Box 1, FPO AP 96521-0006 telephone: 2523-9011 FAX: 2845-1598
Flag description: red with a stylized, white, five-petal bauhinia flower in the center
Economy Hong Kong
Economy - overview:
Hong Kong has a free market, entrepot economy, highly dependent on
international trade. Natural resources are limited, and food and raw
materials must be imported. Gross imports and exports (i.e.,
including reexports to and from third countries) each exceed GDP in
dollar value. Even before Hong Kong reverted to Chinese
administration on 1 July 1997, it had extensive trade and investment
ties with China. Hong Kong has been further integrating its economy
with China because China's growing openness to the world economy has
made manufacturing in China much more cost effective. Hong Kong's
reexport business to and from China is a major driver of growth. Per
capita GDP is comparable to that of the four big economies of
Western Europe. GDP growth averaged a strong 5% from 1989 to 2005,
but Hong Kong suffered two recessions in the past eight years
because of the Asian financial crisis in 1997-1998 and the global
downturn in 2001-2002. Although the Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003 also battered Hong Kong's economy,
a solid rise in exports, a boom in tourism from the mainland because
of China's easing of travel restrictions, and a return of consumer
confidence resulted in the resumption of strong growth from late
2003 through 2005.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$234.3 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$172.6 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
7.3% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$34,000 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 0.1% industry: 9.2% services: 90.6% (2005 est.)
Labor force:
3.61 million (October 2005)
Labor force - by occupation:
manufacturing 7.5%, construction 2.9%, wholesale and retail trade,
restaurants, and hotels 43.9%, financing, insurance, and real estate
19.6%, transport and communications 7.1%, community and social
services 18.8%
note: above data exclude public sector (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate:
5.5% (2005 est.)
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
43.4 (1996)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
0.9% (2005 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
20.8% of GDP (2005 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $31.31 billion
expenditures: $32.3 billion; including capital expenditures of $5.9
billion (2005 est.)
Public debt:
1.8% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products:
fresh vegetables; poultry, pork; fish
Industries:
textiles, clothing, tourism, banking, shipping, electronics,
plastics, toys, watches, clocks
Industrial production growth rate:
-0.6% (2005 est.)
Electricity - production:
37.3 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:
39.22 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports:
3.086 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports:
9.84 billion kWh (2004)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - consumption:
293,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day
Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m NA cu m
Natural gas - consumption:
692.2 million cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
71.15 million cu m (2004 est.)
Current account balance:
$19.7 billion (2005 est.)
Exports:
$286.3 billion f.o.b., including reexports (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities:
electrical machinery and appliances, textiles, apparel, footwear,
watches and clocks, toys, plastics, precious stones, printed material
Exports - partners:
China 45%, US 16.1%, Japan 5.3% (2005)
Imports:
$291.6 billion (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities:
raw materials and semi-manufactures, consumer goods, capital goods,
foodstuffs, fuel (most is re-exported)
Imports - partners:
China 45%, Japan 11%, Taiwan 7.2%, Singapore 5.8%, US 5.1%, South
Korea 4.4% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$124.3 billion (2005 est.)
Debt - external:
$72.04 billion (2005 est.)
Currency (code):
Hong Kong dollar (HKD)
Currency code:
HKD
Exchange rates:
Hong Kong dollars per US dollar - 7.7773 (2005), 7.788 (2004),
7.7868 (2003), 7.7989 (2002), 7.7988 (2001)
Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March
Communications Hong Kong
Telephones - main lines in use:
3,794,600 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
8.693 million (2005)
Telephone system:
general assessment: modern facilities provide excellent domestic
and international services
domestic: microwave radio relay links and extensive fiber-optic
network
international: country code - 852; satellite earth stations - 3
Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); coaxial cable to
Guangzhou, China; access to 5 international submarine cables
providing connections to ASEAN member nations, Japan, Taiwan,
Australia, Middle East, and Western Europe
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 5, FM 9, shortwave 0 (2004)
Radios:
4.45 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 55 low power stations note: two TV networks, each one broadcasting on two channels (2006)
Televisions:
1.84 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.hk
Internet hosts:
800,834 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
17 (2000)
Internet users:
4,878,713 (2005)
Transportation Hong Kong
Airports: 3 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 3 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2006)
Heliports: 3 (2006)
Roadways: total: 1,955 km paved: 1,955 km (2005)
Merchant marine:
total: 924 ships (1000 GRT or over) 30,838,025 GRT/51,957,682 DWT
by type: barge carrier 2, bulk carrier 495, cargo 121, chemical
tanker 44, container 133, liquefied gas 22, passenger 6,
passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 76, roll on/roll off 3,
specialized tanker 7, vehicle carrier 8
foreign-owned: 562 (Australia 1, Belgium 3, Canada 28, China 274,
Denmark 6, Germany 6, Greece 27, Indonesia 4, Japan 67, South Korea
6, Norway 26, Philippines 16, Portugal 1, Singapore 24, Syria 1,
Taiwan 6, UAE 2, UK 43, US 21)
registered in other countries: 417 (Bahamas 8, Belize 8, Bermuda 10,
Cambodia 15, China 7, Cyprus 1, France 1, French Southern and
Antarctic Lands 2, Greece 1, Honduras 2, India 1, Liberia 37,
Malaysia 14, Malta 2, Marshall Islands 7, Norway 55, Panama 169,
Philippines 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 6, Singapore 50,
Taiwan 3, Tuvalu 8, unknown 7) (2006)
Ports and terminals:
Hong Kong
Military Hong Kong
Military branches:
no regular indigenous military forces; Hong Kong garrison of
China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) includes elements of the PLA
Ground Forces, PLA Navy, and PLA Air Force; these forces are under
the direct leadership of the Central Military Commission in Beijing
and under administrative control of the adjacent Guangzhou Military
Region
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age (2004)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,743,972
females age 18-49: 1,904,967 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,403,088
females age 18-49: 1,527,278 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 40,343
females age 18-49: 38,234 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
Hong Kong garrison is funded by China; figures are NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of China
Transnational Issues Hong Kong
Disputes - international:
none
Illicit drugs:
makes strenuous law enforcement efforts, but faces difficult
challenges in controlling transit of heroin and methamphetamine to
regional and world markets; modern banking system provides conduit
for money laundering; rising indigenous use of synthetic drugs,
especially among young people
This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
@Hungary
Introduction Hungary
Background:
Hungary was part of the polyglot Austro-Hungarian Empire, which
collapsed during World War I. The country fell under Communist rule
following World War II. In 1956, a revolt and announced withdrawal
from the Warsaw Pact were met with a massive military intervention
by Moscow. Under the leadership of Janos KADAR in 1968, Hungary
began liberalizing its economy, introducing so-called "Goulash
Communism." Hungary held its first multiparty elections in 1990 and
initiated a free market economy. It joined NATO in 1999 and the EU
in 2004.
Geography Hungary
Location:
Central Europe, northwest of Romania
Geographic coordinates:
47 00 N, 20 00 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 93,030 sq km
land: 92,340 sq km
water: 690 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Indiana
Land boundaries:
total: 2,171 km
border countries: Austria 366 km, Croatia 329 km, Romania 443 km,
Serbia 151 km, Slovakia 677 km, Slovenia 102 km, Ukraine 103 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
temperate; cold, cloudy, humid winters; warm summers
Terrain:
mostly flat to rolling plains; hills and low mountains on the
Slovakian border
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Tisza River 78 m
highest point: Kekes 1,014 m
Natural resources:
bauxite, coal, natural gas, fertile soils, arable land
Land use: arable land: 49.58% permanent crops: 2.06% other: 48.36% (2005)
Irrigated land: 2,300 sq km (2003)
Environment - current issues: the upgrading of Hungary's standards in waste management, energy efficiency, and air, soil, and water pollution to meet EU requirements will require large investments
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85,
Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, 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
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Sulfur 94
Geography - note:
landlocked; strategic location astride main land routes between
Western Europe and Balkan Peninsula as well as between Ukraine and
Mediterranean basin; the north-south flowing Duna (Danube) and Tisza
Rivers divide the country into three large regions
People Hungary
Population:
9,981,334 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 15.6% (male 799,163/female 755,389)
15-64 years: 69.2% (male 3,403,375/female 3,505,640)
65 years and over: 15.2% (male 550,297/female 967,470) (2006 est.)
Median age:
total: 38.7 years
male: 36.3 years
female: 41.4 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.25% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:
9.72 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:
13.11 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:
0.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.57 male(s)/female
total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 8.39 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 9.09 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 7.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.66 years
male: 68.45 years
female: 77.14 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.32 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
2,800 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 100 (2001 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Hungarian(s)
adjective: Hungarian
Ethnic groups:
Hungarian 92.3%, Roma 1.9%, other or unknown 5.8% (2001 census)
Religions:
Roman Catholic 51.9%, Calvinist 15.9%, Lutheran 3%, Greek Catholic
2.6%, other Christian 1%, other or unspecified 11.1%, unaffiliated
14.5% (2001 census)
Languages:
Hungarian 93.6%, other or unspecified 6.4% (2001 census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.4%
male: 99.5%
female: 99.3% (2003 est.)
Government Hungary
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Hungary
conventional short form: Hungary
local long form: Magyar Koztarsasag
local short form: Magyarorszag
Government type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
name: Budapest
geographic coordinates: 47 30 N, 19 05 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:
19 counties (megyek, singular - megye), 22 urban counties (singular
- megyei varos), and 1 capital city (fovaros)
counties: Bacs-Kiskun, Baranya, Bekes, Borsod-Abauj-Zemplen,
Csongrad, Fejer, Gyor-Moson-Sopron, Hajdu-Bihar, Heves,
Jasz-Nagykun-Szolnok, Komarom-Esztergom, Nograd, Pest, Somogy,
Szabolcs-Szatmar-Bereg, Tolna, Vas, Veszprem, Zala
urban counties: Bekescsaba, Debrecen, Dunaujvaros, Eger, Gyor,
Hodmezovasarhely, Kaposvar, Kecskemet, Miskolc, Nagykanizsa,
Nyiregyhaza, Pecs, Salgotarjan, Sopron, Szeged, Szekesfehervar,
Szekszard, Szolnok, Szombathely, Tatabanya, Veszprem, Zalaegerszeg
capital city: Budapest
Independence:
1001 (unification by King Stephen I)
National holiday:
Saint Stephen's Day, 20 August
Constitution:
18 August 1949, effective 20 August 1949; revised 19 April 1972; 18
October 1989 revision ensured legal rights for individuals and
constitutional checks on the authority of the prime minister and
also established the principle of parliamentary oversight; 1997
amendment streamlined the judicial system
Legal system:
rule of law based on Western model; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Laszlo SOLYOM (since 5 August 2005)
head of government: Prime Minister Ferenc GYURCSANY (since 29
September 2004)
cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the National Assembly on
the recommendation of the president
elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a
five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 6-7
June 2005 (next to be held by June 2010); prime minister elected by
the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president;
election last held 29 September 2004
election results: Laszlo SOLYOM elected president by a simple
majority in the third round of voting, 185 to 182; Ferenc GYURCSANY
elected prime minister; result of legislative vote - 197 to 12
note: to be elected, the president must win two-thirds of
legislative vote in the first two rounds or a simple majority in the
third round
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Orszaggyules (386 seats; members
are elected by popular vote under a system of proportional and
direct representation to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 9 and 23 April 2006 (next to be held April 2010)
election results: percent of vote by party (5% or more of the vote
required for parliamentary representation in the first round) - MSzP
43.2%, Fidesz-KDNP 42%, SzDSz 6.5%, MDF 5%, other 3.3%; seats by
party - MSzP 190, Fidesz 141, KDNP 23, SzDSz 20, MDF 11, independent
1
Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court (judges are elected by the National Assembly
for nine-year terms)
Political parties and leaders:
Alliance of Free Democrats or SzDSz [Gabor KUNCZE]; Christian
Democratic People's Party or KDNP [Zsolt SEMJEN]; Hungarian Civic
Alliance or Fidesz [Viktor ORBAN, chairman]; Hungarian Democratic
Forum or MDF [Ibolya DAVID]; Hungarian Socialist Party or MSzP
[Istvan HILLER, chairman]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
ACCT (observer), Australia Group, BIS, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD,
EIB, ESA (cooperating state), EU (new member), FAO, G- 9, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (guest),
NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE,
PCA, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOMIG, UPU,
WCL, WCO, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Andras SIMONYI chancery: 3910 Shoemaker Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 362-6730 FAX: (202) 966-8135 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador April H. FOLEY embassy: Szabadsag ter 12, H-1054 Budapest mailing address: pouch: American Embassy Budapest, 5270 Budapest Place, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5270 telephone: (1) 475-4400 FAX: (1) 475-4764
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and green
Economy Hungary
Economy - overview:
Hungary has made the transition from a centrally planned to a
market economy, with a per capita income about 60% of the EU-25
average. Hungary continues to demonstrate strong economic growth and
acceded to the EU in May 2004. The private sector accounts for over
80% of GDP. Foreign ownership of and investment in Hungarian firms
are widespread, with cumulative foreign direct investment totaling
more than $34 billion between 1990 and 2003. Several private sector
analysts and sovereign ratings agencies have expressed concerns over
Hungary's unsustainable budget and current account deficits.
Inflation has declined from 14% in 1998 to 3.5% in 2005.
Unemployment in 2005 rose to 7.1%, its highest point since 1999;
Hungary's labor force participation rate of 57% is one of the lowest
in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
Germany is by far Hungary's largest economic partner. Policy
challenges include cutting the public sector deficit to 3% of GDP by
2008, from about 6.1% in 2005, and orchestrating an orderly interest
rate reduction without sparking capital outflows.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$163.1 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$106.4 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
4.1% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$16,300 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 3.7% industry: 31.2% services: 65.1% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 4.18 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 5.5% industry: 33.3% services: 61.2% (2003)
Unemployment rate:
7.2% (2005)
Population below poverty line:
At-risk-of poverty rate after social transfers: 12% (2003)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 4.1% highest 10%: 22.2% (2002)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
24.96 (2002)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
3.6% (2005 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
23.1% of GDP (2005 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $51.4 billion
expenditures: $58.34 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2005 est.)
Public debt:
58.9% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products:
wheat, corn, sunflower seed, potatoes, sugar beets; pigs, cattle,
poultry, dairy products
Industries:
mining, metallurgy, construction materials, processed foods,
textiles, chemicals (especially pharmaceuticals), motor vehicles
Industrial production growth rate:
7.3% (2005 est.)
Electricity - production:
32.21 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 60.1% hydro: 0.5% nuclear: 39% other: 0.3% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:
36.96 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports:
7.1 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports:
14.1 billion kWh (2003)
Oil - production:
45,190 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - consumption:
136,000 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - exports:
47,180 bbl/day (2001)
Oil - imports:
94,000 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - proved reserves:
102 million bbl (1 January 2006)
Natural gas - production:
3.1 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
13 billion cu m (2004)
Natural gas - exports:
4 million cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
10.95 billion cu m (2004)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
33.98 billion cu m (1 January 2003)
Current account balance:
$-7.963 billion (2005 est.)
Exports:
$61.75 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities:
machinery and equipment 61.1%, other manufactures 28.7%, food
products 6.5%, raw materials 2%, fuels and electricity 1.6% (2003)
Exports - partners:
Germany 29.4%, Austria 5.9%, Italy 5.6%, France 5%, UK 4.7% (2005)
Imports:
$64.83 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment 51.6%, other manufactures 35.7%, fuels and
electricity 7.7%, food products 3.1%, raw materials 2.0% (2003)
Imports - partners:
Germany 27.2%, Russia 7.5%, China 7.2%, Austria 6.7%, Italy 4.9%,
France 4.8%, Netherlands 4.3% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$18.59 billion (2005 est.)
Debt - external:
$66.22 billion (2005 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $3.4 billion in committed EU structural adjustment and cohesion funds (2004-06)
Currency (code):
forint (HUF)
Currency code:
HUF
Exchange rates:
forints per US dollar - 199.58 (2005), 202.75 (2004), 224.31
(2003), 257.89 (2002), 286.49 (2001)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications Hungary
Telephones - main lines in use:
3.356 million (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
9.32 million (2005)
Telephone system:
general assessment: the telephone system has been modernized and is
capable of satisfying all requests for telecommunication service
domestic: the system is digitalized and highly automated; trunk
services are carried by fiber-optic cable and digital microwave
radio relay; a program for fiber-optic subscriber connections was
initiated in 1996; heavy use is made of mobile cellular telephones
international: country code - 36; Hungary has fiber-optic cable
connections with all neighboring countries; the international switch
is in Budapest; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean and Indian Ocean regions), 1 Inmarsat, 1 very small aperture
terminal (VSAT) system of ground terminals
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 17, FM 57, shortwave 3 (1998)
Radios:
7.01 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
35 (plus 161 low-power repeaters) (1995)
Televisions:
4.42 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.hu
Internet hosts:
608,085 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
16 (2000)
Internet users:
3.05 million (2005)
Transportation Hungary
Airports: 46 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 20 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 2 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 26 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 10 (2006)
Heliports:
5 (2006)
Pipelines:
gas 4,397 km; oil 990 km; refined products 335 km (2006)
Railways:
total: 7,937 km
broad gauge: 36 km 1.524-m gauge
standard gauge: 7,682 km 1.435-m gauge (2,628 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 219 km 0.760-m gauge (2005)
Roadways:
total: 159,568 km
paved: 70,050 km (30,874 km of interurban roads including 626 km of
expressways)
unpaved: 89,518 km (2005)
Waterways:
1,622 km (most on Danube River) (2006)
Ports and terminals:
Budapest, Dunaujvaros, Gyor-Gonyu, Csepel, Baja, Mohacs (2003)
Military Hungary
Military branches:
Ground Forces, Air Forces
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription
abolished in June 2004 (2004)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 2,303,116
females age 18-49: 2,265,463 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 1,780,513
females age 18-49: 1,864,580 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 63,847
females age 18-49: 61,037 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$1.08 billion (2002 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
1.75% (2002 est.)
Transnational Issues Hungary
Disputes - international:
in 2004, Hungary amended the status law extending special social
and cultural benefits - and voted down a referendum to extend dual
citizenship - to ethnic Hungarians living in neighboring states,
which have objected to such measures; consultations continue between
Slovakia and Hungary over Hungary's completion of its portion the
Gabcikovo-Nagymaros hydroelectric dam project along the Danube; as a
member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Hungary
must implement the strict Schengen border rules
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and cannabis and for
South American cocaine destined for Western Europe; limited producer
of precursor chemicals, particularly for amphetamine and
methamphetamine; improving, but remains vulnerable to money
laundering related to organized crime and drug trafficking
This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
@Iceland
Introduction Iceland
Background:
Settled by Norwegian and Celtic (Scottish and Irish) immigrants
during the late 9th and 10th centuries A.D., Iceland boasts the
world's oldest functioning legislative assembly, the Althing,
established in 930. Independent for over 300 years, Iceland was
subsequently ruled by Norway and Denmark. Fallout from the Askja
volcano of 1875 devastated the Icelandic economy and caused
widespread famine. Over the next quarter century, 20% of the
island's population emigrated, mostly to Canada and the US. Limited
home rule from Denmark was granted in 1874 and complete independence
attained in 1944. Literacy, longevity, income, and social cohesion
are first-rate by world standards.
Geography Iceland
Location:
Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the North
Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the UK
Geographic coordinates:
65 00 N, 18 00 W
Map references:
Arctic Region
Area:
total: 103,000 sq km
land: 100,250 sq km
water: 2,750 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Kentucky
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
4,970 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Climate:
temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy
winters; damp, cool summers
Terrain:
mostly plateau interspersed with mountain peaks, icefields; coast
deeply indented by bays and fiords
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Hvannadalshnukur 2,110 m (at Vatnajokull glacier)
Natural resources:
fish, hydropower, geothermal power, diatomite
Land use:
arable land: 0.07%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 99.93% (2005)
Irrigated land:
NA
Natural hazards:
earthquakes and volcanic activity
Environment - current issues:
water pollution from fertilizer runoff; inadequate wastewater
treatment
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Transboundary Air Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life
Conservation
Geography - note:
strategic location between Greenland and Europe; westernmost
European country; Reykjavik is the northernmost national capital in
the world; more land covered by glaciers than in all of continental
Europe
People Iceland
Population:
299,388 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 21.7% (male 33,021/female 32,021)
15-64 years: 66.5% (male 100,944/female 98,239)
65 years and over: 11.7% (male 15,876/female 19,287) (2006 est.)
Median age:
total: 34.2 years
male: 33.8 years
female: 34.7 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.87% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:
13.64 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:
6.72 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:
1.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 3.29 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 3.43 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 80.31 years
male: 78.23 years
female: 82.48 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.92 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
220 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 100 (2003 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Icelander(s)
adjective: Icelandic
Ethnic groups:
homogeneous mixture of descendants of Norse and Celts 94%,
population of foreign origin 6%
Religions:
Lutheran Church of Iceland 85.5%, Reykjavik Free Church 2.1%, Roman
Catholic Church 2%, Hafnarfjorour Free Church 1.5%, other Christian
2.7%, other or unspecified 3.8%, unaffiliated 2.4% (2004)
Languages:
Icelandic, English, Nordic languages, German widely spoken
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2003 est.)
Government Iceland
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Iceland
conventional short form: Iceland
local long form: Lydveldid Island
local short form: Island
Government type:
constitutional republic
Capital:
name: Reykjavik
geographic coordinates: 64 09 N, 21 57 W
time difference: UTC (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
8 regions; Austurland, Hofudhborgarsvaedhi, Nordhurland Eystra,
Nordhurland Vestra, Sudhurland, Sudhurnes, Vestfirdhir, Vesturland
Independence:
1 December 1918 (became a sovereign state under the Danish Crown);
17 June 1944 (from Denmark)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 17 June (1944)
Constitution:
16 June 1944, effective 17 June 1944; amended many times
Legal system:
civil law system based on Danish law; has not accepted compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Olafur Ragnar GRIMSSON (since 1 August
1996)
head of government: Prime Minister Geir H. HAARDE (since 7 June 2006)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister
elections: president, largely a ceremonial post, is elected by
popular vote for a four-year term (no term limits); election last
held 26 June 2004 (next to be held June 2008); following legislative
elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the
majority coalition is usually the prime minister
election results: Olafur Ragnar GRIMSSON 85.6%, Baldur AGUSTSSON
12.5%, Astthor MAGNUSSON 1.9%
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament or Althing (63 seats; members are elected by
popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 10 May 2003 (next to be held by May 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - Independence Party
33.7%, Social Democratic Alliance 31%, Progressive Party 17.7%,
Left-Green Movement 8.8%, Liberal Party 7.4%; seats by party -
Independence Party 22, Social Democratic Alliance 20, Progressive
Party 12, Left-Green Alliance 5, Liberal Party 4
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Haestirettur (justices are appointed for life by
the Minister of Justice); eight district courts (justices are
appointed for life by the Minister of Justice)
Political parties and leaders:
Independence Party or IP [Geir HAARDE]; Left-Green Movement or LGM
[Steingrimur SIGFUSSON]; Liberal Party or LP [Gudjon KRISTJANSSON];
Progressive Party or PP [Halldor ASGRIMSSON - will step down in
August 2006]; Social Democratic Alliance (includes People's Alliance
or PA, Social Democratic Party or SDP, Women's List) or SDA
[Ingibjorg Solrun GISLADOTTIR]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
Arctic Council, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EFTA,
FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NATO,
NC, NEA, NIB, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO,
WEU (associate), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Helgi AGUSTSSON
chancery: Suite 1200, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005-1704
telephone: (202) 265-6653
FAX: (202) 265-6656
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Carol VAN VOORST embassy: Laufasvegur 21, 101 Reykjavik mailing address: US Department of State, 5640 Reykjavik Place, Washington, D.C. 20521-5640 telephone: 562-9100 FAX: 562-9118
Flag description:
blue with a red cross outlined in white extending to the edges of
the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist
side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)
Economy Iceland
Economy - overview:
Iceland's Scandinavian-type economy is basically capitalistic, yet
with an extensive welfare system (including generous housing
subsidies), low unemployment, and remarkably even distribution of
income. In the absence of other natural resources (except for
abundant geothermal power), the economy depends heavily on the
fishing industry, which provides 70% of export earnings and employs
4% of the work force. The economy remains sensitive to declining
fish stocks as well as to fluctuations in world prices for its main
exports: fish and fish products, aluminum, and ferrosilicon.
Government policies include reducing the current account deficit,
limiting foreign borrowing, containing inflation, revising
agricultural and fishing policies, and diversifying the economy. The
government remains opposed to EU membership, primarily because of
Icelanders' concern about losing control over their fishing
resources. Iceland's economy has been diversifying into
manufacturing and service industries in the last decade, and new
developments in software production, biotechnology, and financial
services are taking place. The tourism sector is also expanding,
with the recent trends in ecotourism and whale watching. Growth had
been remarkably steady in 1996-2001 at 3%-5%, but could not be
sustained in 2002 in an environment of global recession. Growth
resumed in 2003, and estimates call for strong growth until 2007,
slowly dropping until the end of the decade.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$10.59 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$13.05 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
5.6% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$35,700 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 8.6% industry: 15% services: 76.5% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 165,900 (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 10.3% industry: 18.3% services: 71.4% (2003)
Unemployment rate:
2.1% (2005 est.)
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4% (2005 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
28.7% of GDP (2005 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $6.995 billion
expenditures: $6.761 billion; including capital expenditures of $467
million (2005 est.)
Public debt:
31.6% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products:
potatoes, green vegetables; mutton, dairy products; fish
Industries:
fish processing; aluminum smelting, ferrosilicon production;
geothermal power, tourism
Industrial production growth rate:
14.2% (2005 est.)
Electricity - production:
8.619 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 0.1% hydro: 82.5% nuclear: 0% other: 17.5% (geothermal) (2001)
Electricity - consumption:
8.619 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2003)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - consumption:
17,280 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2001)
Oil - imports:
15,470 bbl/day (2001)
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2003 est.)
Current account balance:
$-2.607 billion (2005 est.)
Exports:
$3.215 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities:
fish and fish products 70%, aluminum, animal products,
ferrosilicon, diatomite
Exports - partners:
UK 17.9%, Germany 16.4%, Netherlands 13%, US 8.1%, Spain 7.7%,
Denmark 4.3% (2005)
Imports:
$4.582 billion (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, petroleum products, foodstuffs, textiles
Imports - partners:
Germany 13.4%, US 9.1%, Sweden 8.6%, Denmark 7.3%, Norway 7.2%, UK
5.9%, China 5.3%, Netherlands 5%, Japan 4.7% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$1.069 billion (2005 est.)
Debt - external:
$3.073 billion (2002)
Economic aid - donor:
$6.7 million $NA
Currency (code):
Icelandic krona (ISK)
Currency code:
ISK
Exchange rates:
Icelandic kronur per US dollar - 62.982 (2005), 70.192 (2004),
76.709 (2003), 91.662 (2002), 97.425 (2001)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications Iceland
Telephones - main lines in use:
193,900 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
304,000 (2005)
Telephone system:
general assessment: extensive domestic service
domestic: the trunk network consists of coaxial and fiber-optic
cables and microwave radio relay links
international: country code - 354; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean
regions); note - Iceland shares the Inmarsat earth station with the
other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 3, FM about 70 (including repeaters), shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios:
260,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
14 (plus 156 low-power repeaters) (1997)
Televisions:
98,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.is
Internet hosts:
212,897 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
20 (2001)
Internet users:
258,000 (2005)
Transportation Iceland
Airports: 98 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 5
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 93
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 29
under 914 m: 61 (2006)
Roadways:
total: 13,028 km
paved/oiled gravel: 4,241 km (does not include urban roads)
unpaved: 8,787 km (2005)
Merchant marine:
total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 3,354 GRT/480 DWT
by type: passenger/cargo 1
registered in other countries: 34 (Antigua and Barbuda 8, Bahamas 1,
Belize 2, Faroe Islands 4, Gibraltar 1, Malta 4, Norway 4, Saint
Vincent and the Grenadines 10) (2006)
Ports and terminals:
Grundartangi, Hafnarfjordur, Hornafjordhur, Reykjavik,
Seydhisfjordhur
Military Iceland
Military branches:
no regular armed forces; Icelandic National Police, Icelandic Coast
Guard (Islenska Landhelgisgaeslan) subordinate to Ministry of
Justice, Icelandic Crisis Response Unit (2006)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 69,038 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 56,777 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
0
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
0%
Military - note:
under a 1951 bilateral agreement, Iceland's defense was provided by
a US-manned Icelandic Defense Force (IDF) headquartered in Keflavik;
in October 2006, all US military forces in Iceland were withdrawn;
nonetheless, the US and Iceland signed a Joint Understanding to
strengthen their bilateral defense relationship, including regular
security consultations, military communications in the event of
national emergencies, annual bilateral exercises on Icelandic
territory, and future bilateral and NATO support to four Iceland Air
Defense System (IADS) radar sites
Transnational Issues Iceland
Disputes - international:
Iceland disputes Denmark's alignment of the Faroe Islands'
fisheries median line; Iceland, the UK, and Ireland dispute
Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends
beyond 200 nm
This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
@Iles Eparses
Introduction Iles Eparses
Background:
The Iles Eparses, or scattered islands, are a group of five French
entities - Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de
Nova Island, and Tromelin Island - which on 1 April 1960 came under
the authority of the Minister in charge of overseas possessions. On
19 September 1960 by decree, the islands were transferred to the
charge of the Prefet of Reunion where they remained until 3 January
2005 when they were transferred by another decree to the Senior
Administrator of the Territory of the French Southern and Antarctic
Lands (TAAF).
Bassas da India: A French possession since 1897, this atoll is a
volcanic seamount surrounded by reefs and awash at high tide.
Europa Island: A French possession since 1897, the island is heavily
wooded; it is the site of a small military garrison that staffs a
weather station.
Glorioso Islands: A French possession since 1892, the Glorioso
Islands are composed of two lushly vegetated coral islands (Ile
Glorieuse and Ile du Lys) and three rock islets. A military garrison
operates a weather and radio station on Ile Glorieuse.
Juan de Nova Island: Named after a famous 15th century Spanish
navigator and explorer, the island has been a French possession
since 1897. It has been exploited for its guano and phosphate.
Presently a small military garrison oversees a meteorological
station.
Tromelin Island: First explored by the French in 1776, the island
came under the jurisdiction of Reunion in 1814. At present, it
serves as a sea turtle sanctuary and is the site of an important
meteorological station.
Geography Iles Eparses
Location:
Southern Africa, in the Indian Ocean
Bassas da India: atoll in the southern Mozambique Channel, about
half way from Madagascar to Mozambique
Europa Island: island in the Mozambique Channel, about half way
between southern Madagascar and southern Mozambique
Glorioso Islands: group of islands in the Indian Ocean, northwest of
Madagascar
Juan de Nova Island: island in the Mozambique Channel, about
one-third of the way between Madagascar and Mozambique
Tromelin Island: island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar
Geographic coordinates:
Bassas da India: 21 30 S, 39 50 E
Europa Island: 22 20 S, 40 22 E
Glorioso Islands: 11 30 S, 47 20 E
Juan de Nova Island: 17 03 S, 42 45 E
Tromelin Island: 15 52 S, 54 25 E
Map references:
Africa
Area:
Bassas da India: total - 80 sq km; land - 0.2 sq km; water - 79.8
sq km (lagoon)
Europa Island: total - 28 sq km; land - 28 sq km; water - 0 sq km
Glorioso Islands: total - 5 sq km; land - 5 sq km; water - 0 sq km
Juan de Nova Island: total - 4.4 sq km; land - 4.4 sq km; water - 0
sq km
Tromelin Island: total - 1 sq km; land - 1 sq km; water - 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
Bassas da India: land area about one-third the size of The Mall in
Washington, DC
Europa Island: about one-sixth the size of Washington, DC
Glorioso Islands: about eight times the size of The Mall in
Washington, DC
Juan de Nova Island: about seven times the size of The Mall in
Washington, DC
Tromelin Island: about 1.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington,
DC
Land boundaries:
none
Coastline:
Bassas da India: 35.2 km
Europa Island: 22.2 km
Glorioso Islands: 35.2 km
Juan de Nova Island: 24.1 km
Tromelin Island: 3.7 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; note - Juan de Nova Island and
Tromelin Island claim a continental shelf of 200-m depth or to the
depth of exploitation
Climate:
tropical
Terrain:
Bassas da India: atoll, awash at high tide; shallow (15 m) lagoon
Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island: low, flat, and
sandy
Tromelin Island: low, flat, sandy; likely volcanic seamount
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Bassas da India 2.4 m; Europa Island 24 m; Glorioso
Islands 12 m; Juan de Nova Island 10 m; Tromelin Island 7 m (all
unnamed locations)
Natural resources:
Bassas da India and Europa Island: none
Glorioso Islands and Juan de Nova Island: guano, phosphates; coconuts
Tromelin Island: fish
Land use:
Bassas da India - 100% rock, coral reef, and sand; Europa Island -
100% mangrove swamp and dry woodlands; Glorioso Islands - 100% lush
vegetation and coconut palms; Juan de Nova Island - 90% forest, 10%
other; Tromelin Island - 100% grasses and scattered brush
Natural hazards:
all islands subject to periodic cyclones
Bassas da India: maritime hazard since it is under water for a
period of three hours prior to and following the high tide and
surrounded by reefs
Geography - note:
Bassas da India: the atoll is a circular reef that sits atop a
long-extinct, submerged volcano
Europa Island and Juan de Nova Island: wildlife sanctuary for
seabirds and sea turtles
Glorioso Islands: the islands and rocks are surrounded by an
extensive reef system
Tromelin Island: climatologically important location for forecasting
cyclones in the western Indian Ocean; wildlife sanctuary (seabirds,
tortoises)
People Iles Eparses
Population:
Bassas da India: uninhabitable
Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island: a small French
military garrison and a few meteorologists on each possession;
visited by scientists
Tromelin Island: uninhabited, except for visits by scientists
Government Iles Eparses
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso
Islands, Juan de Nova Island, Tromelin Island
local long form: none
local short form: Bassas da India, Ile Europa, Iles Glorieuses, Ile
Juan de Nova, Ile Tromelin
Dependency status:
possessions of France; administered by the Senior Administrator of
the Territory of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands (TAAF),
resident in Reunion
Legal system:
the laws of France, where applicable, apply
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May
1995), represented by Senior Administrator Michel CHAMPON
Flag description:
the flag of France is used
Economy Iles Eparses
Economy - overview: no economic activity
Communications Iles Eparses
Communications - note:
Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova Island, Tromelin
Island: 1 meteorological station on each possession; note -
meteorological station on Tromelin Island is important for
forecasting cyclones
Transportation Iles Eparses
Airports:
4 (2006)
Ports and terminals:
none; offshore anchorage only
Transportation - note:
aids to navigation - lighthouses: Europa Island 18m; Juan de Nova
Island (W side) 37m; Tromelin Island (NW point) 11m
Military Iles Eparses
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of France
Transnational Issues Iles Eparses
Disputes - international:
Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, Juan de Nova
Island: claimed by Madagascar
Tromelin Island: claimed by Mauritius
This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
@India
Introduction India
Background:
The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world,
dates back at least 5,000 years. Aryan tribes from the northwest
infiltrated onto Indian lands about 1500 B.C.; their merger with the
earlier Dravidian inhabitants created the classical Indian culture.
Arab incursions starting in the 8th century and Turkish in the 12th
were followed by those of European traders, beginning in the late
15th century. By the 19th century, Britain had assumed political
control of virtually all Indian lands. Indian armed forces in the
British army played a vital role in both World Wars. Nonviolent
resistance to British colonialism led by Mohandas GANDHI and
Jawaharlal NEHRU brought independence in 1947. The subcontinent was
divided into the secular state of India and the smaller Muslim state
of Pakistan. A third war between the two countries in 1971 resulted
in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. Despite
impressive gains in economic investment and output, India faces
pressing problems such as the ongoing dispute with Pakistan over
Kashmir, massive overpopulation, environmental degradation,
extensive poverty, and ethnic and religious strife.
Geography India
Location:
Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal,
between Burma and Pakistan
Geographic coordinates:
20 00 N, 77 00 E
Map references:
Asia
Area:
total: 3,287,590 sq km
land: 2,973,190 sq km
water: 314,400 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly more than one-third the size of the US
Land boundaries:
total: 14,103 km
border countries: Bangladesh 4,053 km, Bhutan 605 km, Burma 1,463
km, China 3,380 km, Nepal 1,690 km, Pakistan 2,912 km
Coastline:
7,000 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:
varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north
Terrain:
upland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling plain along
the Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Kanchenjunga 8,598 m
Natural resources:
coal (fourth-largest reserves in the world), iron ore, manganese,
mica, bauxite, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, diamonds,
petroleum, limestone, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 48.83%
permanent crops: 2.8%
other: 48.37% (2005)
Irrigated land:
558,080 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:
droughts; flash floods, as well as widespread and destructive
flooding from monsoonal rains; severe thunderstorms; earthquakes
Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; desertification; air
pollution from industrial effluents and vehicle emissions; water
pollution from raw sewage and runoff of agricultural pesticides; tap
water is not potable throughout the country; huge and growing
population is overstraining natural resources
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living
Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical
Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
dominates South Asian subcontinent; near important Indian Ocean
trade routes; Kanchenjunga, third tallest mountain in the world,
lies on the border with Nepal
People India
Population:
1,095,351,995 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 30.8% (male 173,478,760/female 163,852,827)
15-64 years: 64.3% (male 363,876,219/female 340,181,764)
65 years and over: 4.9% (male 27,258,020/female 26,704,405) (2006
est.)
Median age: total: 24.9 years male: 24.9 years female: 24.9 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.38% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:
22.01 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:
8.18 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:
-0.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female
total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 54.63 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 55.18 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 54.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 64.71 years
male: 63.9 years
female: 65.57 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.73 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.9% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
5.1 million (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
310,000 (2001 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E,
and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and Japanese
encephalitis are high risks in some locations
animal contact disease: rabies (2005)
Nationality:
noun: Indian(s)
adjective: Indian
Ethnic groups:
Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, Mongoloid and other 3% (2000)
Religions:
Hindu 80.5%, Muslim 13.4%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, other 1.8%,
unspecified 0.1% (2001 census)
Languages:
English enjoys associate status but is the most important language
for national, political, and commercial communication; Hindi is the
national language and primary tongue of 30% of the people; there are
14 other official languages: Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu,
Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri,
Sindhi, and Sanskrit; Hindustani is a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu
spoken widely throughout northern India but is not an official
language
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 59.5%
male: 70.2%
female: 48.3% (2003 est.)
Government India
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of India
conventional short form: India
local long form: Republic of India/Bharatiya Ganarajya
local short form: India/Bharat
Government type:
federal republic
Capital:
name: New Delhi
geographic coordinates: 28 36 N, 77 12 E
time difference: UTC+5.5 (10.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
28 states and 7 union territories*; Andaman and Nicobar Islands*,
Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh*,
Chhattisgarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli*, Daman and Diu*, Delhi*, Goa,
Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand,
Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep*, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra,
Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Puducherry*, Punjab,
Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal,
West Bengal
Independence:
15 August 1947 (from UK)
National holiday:
Republic Day, 26 January (1950)
Constitution:
26 January 1950; amended many times
Legal system:
based on English common law; limited judicial review of legislative
acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations;
separate personal law codes apply to Muslims, Christians, and Hindus
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President A.P.J. Abdul KALAM (since 25 July 2002);
Vice President Bhairon Singh SHEKHAWAT (since 19 August 2002)
head of government: Prime Minister Manmohan SINGH (since 22 May 2004)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of
the prime minister
elections: president elected by an electoral college consisting of
elected members of both houses of Parliament and the legislatures of
the states for a five-year term (no term limits); election last held
July 2002 (next to be held 18 July 2007); vice president elected by
both houses of Parliament for a five-year term; election last held
12 August 2002 (next to be held August 2007); prime minister chosen
by parliamentary members of the majority party following legislative
elections; election last held April - May 2004 (next to be held May
2009)
election results: Abdul KALAM elected president; percent of
electoral college vote - 89.6%; Bhairon Singh SHEKHAWAT elected vice
president; percent of Parliament vote - 59.8%
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament or Sansad consists of the Council of States or
Rajya Sabha (a body consisting of not more than 250 members, up to
12 of whom are appointed by the president, the remainder are chosen
by the elected members of the state and territorial assemblies;
members serve six-year terms) and the People's Assembly or Lok Sabha
(545 seats; 543 elected by popular vote, 2 appointed by the
president; members serve five-year terms)
elections: People's Assembly - last held 20 April through 10 May
2004 (next must be held before May 2009)
election results: People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - INC 145, BJP 138, CPI(M) 43, SP 36, RJD 24, BSP 19,
DMK 16, SS 12, BJD 11, CPI 10, NCP 9, JDU 8, SAD 8, PMK 6, TDP 5,
TRS 5, JMM 5, LJSP 4, MDMK 4, independents 5, other 30
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (one chief justice and 25 associate justices are
appointed by the president and remain in office until they reach the
age of 65 or are removed for "proved misbehavior")
Political parties and leaders:
note - India has dozens of national and regional political parties;
only parties with four or more seats in the People's Assembly are
listed; Bahujan Samaj Party or BSP [MAYAWATI]; Bharatiya Janata
Party or BJP [Rajnath SINGH]; Biju Janata Dal or BJD [Naveen
PATNAIK]; Communist Party of India or CPI [Ardhendu Bhushan
BARDHAN]; Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI (M) [Prakash
KARAT]; Dravida Munnetra Kazagham or DMK [M. KARUNANIDHI]; Indian
National Congress or INC [Sonia GANDHI]; Janata Dal (United) or
JD(U) [Sharad YADEV]; Jharkhand Mukti Morcha or JMM [Shibu SOREN];
Lok Jan Shakti Party or LJSP [Ram Vilas PASWAN]; Marumalarchi
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or MDMK [VAIKU]; Nationalist Congress
Party or NCP [Sharad PAWAR]; Pattali Makkal Katchi or PMK [S.
RAMADOSS]; Rashtriya Janata Dal or RJD [Laloo Prasad YADAV];
Samajwadi Party or SP [Mulayam Singh YADAV]; Shiromani Akali Dal or
SAD [Prakash Singh BADAL]; Shiv Sena or SS [Bal THACKERAY];
Telangana Rashtra Samithi or TRS [K. Chandrasekhar RAO]; Telugu
Desam Party or TDP [Chandrababu NAIDU]
Political pressure groups and leaders: numerous religious or militant/chauvinistic organizations, including Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal, and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh; various separatist groups seeking greater communal and/or regional autonomy, including the All Parties Hurriyat Conference in the Kashmir Valley and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland in the Northeast
International organization participation: AfDB, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIMSTEC, BIS, C, CERN (observer), CP, EAS, FAO, G- 6, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), ONUB, OPCW, PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC, SACEP, SCO (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNDOF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMEE, UNMIS, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ranendra SEN
chancery: 2107 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; note -
Consular Wing located at 2536 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington,
DC 20008
telephone: (202) 939-7000
FAX: (202) 265-4351
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, New York, San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador David C. MULFORD
embassy: Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110021
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: (11) 2419-8000
FAX: (11) 2419-0017
consulate(s) general: Chennai (Madras), Kolkata (Calcutta), Mumbai
(Bombay)
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of saffron (subdued orange) (top),
white, and green with a blue chakra (24-spoked wheel) centered in
the white band; similar to the flag of Niger, which has a small
orange disk centered in the white band
Economy India
Economy - overview:
India's diverse economy encompasses traditional village farming,
modern agriculture, handicrafts, a wide range of modern industries,
and a multitude of services. Services are the major source of
economic growth, accounting for half of India's output with less
than one quarter of its labor force. About three-fifths of the
work-force is in agriculture, leading the UPA government to
articulate an economic reform program that includes developing basic
infrastructure to improve the lives of the rural poor and boost
economic performance. Government controls on foreign trade and
investment have been reduced in some areas, but high tariffs
(averaging 20% on non-agricultural items in 2004) and limits on
foreign direct investment are still in place. The government in 2005
liberalized investment in the civil aviation, telecom, and
construction sectors. Privatization of government-owned industries
essentially came to a halt in 2005, and continues to generate
political debate; continued social, political, and economic
rigidities hold back needed initiatives. The economy has posted an
average growth rate of more than 7% in the decade since 1994,
reducing poverty by about 10 percentage points. India achieved 7.6%
GDP growth in 2005, significantly expanding manufacturing. India is
capitalizing on its large numbers of well-educated people skilled in
the English language to become a major exporter of software services
and software workers. Despite strong growth, the World Bank and
others worry about the combined state and federal budget deficit,
running at approximately 9% of GDP; government borrowing has kept
interest rates high. Economic deregulation would help attract
additional foreign capital and lower interest rates. The huge and
growing population is the fundamental social, economic, and
environmental problem.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$3.666 trillion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$719.8 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
8.4% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$3,400 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 18.6% industry: 27.6% services: 53.8% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 496.4 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 60% industry: 17% services: 23% (1999)
Unemployment rate:
8.9% (2005 est.)
Population below poverty line:
25% (2002 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.5% highest 10%: 33.5% (1997)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
32.5 (2000)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.2% (2005 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
28.1% of GDP (2005 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $111.2 billion
expenditures: $135.8 billion; including capital expenditures of $15
billion (2005 est.)
Public debt:
53.8% of GDP (federal and state debt combined) (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products:
rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, potatoes;
cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats, poultry; fish
Industries:
textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation
equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery, software
Industrial production growth rate:
7.9% (2005 est.)
Electricity - production:
556.8 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 81.7% hydro: 14.5% nuclear: 3.4% other: 0.3% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:
519 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports:
187 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports:
1.4 billion kWh (2003)
Oil - production:
785,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption:
2.32 million bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports:
350,000 bbl/day
Oil - imports:
2.09 million bbl/day
Oil - proved reserves:
5.7 billion bbl (2005 est.)
Natural gas - production:
27.1 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
27.1 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
853.5 billion cu m (2005)
Current account balance:
$-12.95 billion (2005 est.)
Exports:
$76.23 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities:
textile goods, gems and jewelry, engineering goods, chemicals,
leather manufactures
Exports - partners:
US 16.7%, UAE 8.5%, China 6.6%, Singapore 5.3%, UK 4.9%, Hong Kong
4.4% (2005)
Imports:
$113.1 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities:
crude oil, machinery, gems, fertilizer, chemicals
Imports - partners:
China 7.3%, US 5.6%, Switzerland 4.7% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$136 billion (2005 est.)
Debt - external:
$125.5 billion (2005 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
$2.9 billion (FY98/99)
Currency (code):
Indian rupee (INR)
Currency code:
INR
Exchange rates:
Indian rupees per US dollar - 44.101 (2005), 45.317 (2004), 46.583
(2003), 48.61 (2002), 47.186 (2001)
Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March
Communications India
Telephones - main lines in use:
49.75 million (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
69,193,321 (2006)
Telephone system:
general assessment: recent deregulation and liberalization of
telecommunications laws and policies have prompted rapid change;
local and long distance service provided throughout all regions of
the country, with services primarily concentrated in the urban
areas; steady improvement is taking place with the recent admission
of private and private-public investors, but telephone density
remains low at about seven for each 100 persons nationwide but only
one per 100 persons in rural areas and a national waiting list of
over 1.7 million; fastest growth is in cellular service with modest
growth in fixed lines
domestic: expansion of domestic service, although still weak in
rural areas, resulted from increased competition and dramatic
reductions in price led in large part by wireless service; mobile
cellular service (both CDMA and GSM) introduced in 1994 and
organized nationwide into four metropolitan cities and 19 telecom
circles each with about three private service providers and one
state-owned service provider; in recent years significant trunk
capacity added in the form of fiber-optic cable and one of the
world's largest domestic satellite systems, the Indian National
Satellite system (INSAT), with five satellites supporting 33,000
very small aperture terminals (VSAT)
international: country code - 91; satellite earth stations - 8
Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region); nine
gateway exchanges operating from Mumbai (Bombay), New Delhi, Kolkata
(Calcutta), Chennai (Madras), Jalandhar, Kanpur, Gandhinagar,
Hyderabad, and Ernakulam; 5 submarine cables, including Sea-Me-We-3
with landing sites at Cochin and Mumbai (Bombay), Fiber-Optic Link
Around the Globe (FLAG) with landing site at Mumbai (Bombay), South
Africa - Far East (SAFE) with landing site at Cochin, i2icn linking
to Singapore with landing sites at Mumbai (Bombay) and Chennai
(Madras), and Tata Indicom linking Singapore and Chennai (Madras),
provide a significant increase in the bandwidth available for both
voice and data traffic (2004)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 153, FM 91, shortwave 68 (1998)
Radios:
116 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 562 (of which 82 stations have 1 kW or greater power and 480 stations have less than 1 kW of power) (1997)
Televisions:
63 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.in
Internet hosts:
1,543,289 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
43 (2000)
Internet users:
60 million (2005)
Transportation India
Airports: 341 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 243 over 3,047 m: 17 2,438 to 3,047 m: 51 1,524 to 2,437 m: 73 914 to 1,523 m: 81 under 914 m: 21 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 98 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 42 under 914 m: 48 (2006)
Heliports:
28 (2006)
Pipelines:
condensate/gas 8 km; gas 5,184 km; liquid petroleum gas 1,993 km;
oil 6,500 km; refined products 6,152 km (2006)
Railways:
total: 63,230 km
broad gauge: 45,718 km 1.676-m gauge (16,528 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 14,406 km 1.000-m gauge (165 km electrified); 3,106 km
0.762-m gauge and 0.610-m gauge (2005)
Roadways:
total: 3,851,440 km
paved: 2,411,001 km
unpaved: 1,440,439 km (2002)
Waterways:
14,500 km
note: 5,200 km on major rivers and 485 km on canals suitable for
mechanized vessels (2005)
Merchant marine:
total: 316 ships (1000 GRT or over) 7,772,313 GRT/13,310,858 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 96, cargo 72, chemical tanker 13, container 8,
liquefied gas 17, passenger 3, passenger/cargo 10, petroleum tanker
96, roll on/roll off 1
foreign-owned: 10 (China 2, Hong Kong 1, UAE 6, UK 1)
registered in other countries: 46 (Bahamas 1, Comoros 1, Cyprus 5,
North Korea 1, Liberia 3, Malta 1, Mauritius 2, Panama 19, Saint
Vincent and the Grenadines 6, Singapore 5, Venezuela 1, unknown 1)
(2006)
Ports and terminals:
Chennai, Haldia, Jawaharal Nehru, Kandla, Kolkata (Calcutta),
Mumbai (Bombay), New Mangalore, Vishakhapatnam
Military India
Military branches:
Army, Navy (includes naval air arm), Air Force, Coast Guard,
various security or paramilitary forces (includes Border Security
Force, Assam Rifles, National Security Guards, Indo-Tibetan Border
Police, Special Frontier Force, Central Reserve Police Force,
Central Industrial Security Force, Railway Protection Force, and
Defense Security Corps)
Military service age and obligation:
16 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 287,551,111
females age 16-49: 268,524,835 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 219,471,999
females age 16-49: 209,917,553 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 11,446,452
females age 16-49: 10,665,877 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$19.04 billion (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.5% (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues India
Disputes - international:
since China and India launched a security and foreign policy
dialogue in 2005, consolidated discussions related to the dispute
over most of their rugged, militarized boundary, regional nuclear
proliferation, Indian claims that China transferred missiles to
Pakistan, and other matters continue; various talks and
confidence-building measures have cautiously begun to defuse
tensions over Kashmir, particularly since the October 2005
earthquake in the region; Kashmir nevertheless remains the site of
the world's largest and most militarized territorial dispute with
portions under the de facto administration of China (Aksai Chin),
India (Jammu and Kashmir), and Pakistan (Azad Kashmir and Northern
Areas); in 2004, India and Pakistan instituted a cease fire in
Kashmir and in 2005, restored bus service across the highly
militarized Line of Control; Pakistan has taken its dispute on the
impact and benefits of India's building the Baglihar Dam on the
Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir to the World Bank for arbitration;
UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) has
maintained a small group of peacekeepers since 1949; India does not
recognize Pakistan's ceding historic Kashmir lands to China in 1964;
disputes persist with Pakistan over Indus River water sharing; to
defuse tensions and prepare for discussions on a maritime boundary,
in 2004, India and Pakistan resurveyed a portion of the disputed
boundary in Sir Creek estuary at the mouth of the Rann of Kutch;
Pakistani maps continue to show its Junagadh claim in Indian Gujarat
State; discussions with Bangladesh remain stalled to delimit a small
section of river boundary, to exchange 162 miniscule enclaves in
both countries, to allocate divided villages, and to stop illegal
cross-border trade, migration, violence, and transit of terrorists
through the porous border; Bangladesh protests India's attempts to
fence off high-traffic sections of the border; dispute with
Bangladesh over New Moore/South Talpatty/Purbasha Island in the Bay
of Bengal deters maritime boundary delimitation; India seeks
cooperation from Bhutan and Burma to keep Indian Nagaland and Assam
separatists from hiding in remote areas along the borders; Joint
Border Committee with Nepal continues to demarcate minor disputed
boundary sections; India maintains a strict border regime to keep
out Maoist insurgents and control illegal cross-border activities
from Nepal
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 92,394 (Tibet/China) 57,274 (Sri
Lanka) 9,761 (Afghanistan)
IDPs: 600,000 (resulting from 26 December 2004 tsunami); 500,000
(Jammu and Kashmir conflicts; most IDPs are Kashmiri Hindus) (2005)
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: India is a source, destination, and transit
country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of
forced or bonded labor and commercial sexual exploitation; the large
population of men, women, and children - numbering in the millions -
in debt bondage face involuntary servitude in brick kilns, rice
mills, and embroidery factories, while some children endure
involuntary servitude as domestic servants; internal trafficking of
women and girls for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation
and forced marriage also occurs; the government estimates that 90
percent of India's sex trafficking is internal; India is also a
destination for women and girls from Nepal and Bangladesh trafficked
for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation; boys from
Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh are trafficked through India
to the Gulf states for involuntary servitude as child camel jockeys;
Indian men and women migrate willingly to the Persian Gulf region
for work as domestic servants and low-skilled laborers, but some
later find themselves in situations of involuntary servitude
including extended working hours, nonpayment of wages, restrictions
on their movement by withholding of their passports or confinement
to the home, and physical or sexual abuse
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - India has been on the Tier 2 Watch
List since 2004 for its failure to show evidence of increasing
efforts to address trafficking in persons
Illicit drugs:
world's largest producer of licit opium for the pharmaceutical
trade, but an undetermined quantity of opium is diverted to illicit
international drug markets; transit point for illicit narcotics
produced in neighboring countries; illicit producer of methaqualone;
vulnerable to narcotics money laundering through the hawala system
This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
@Indian Ocean
Introduction Indian Ocean
Background:
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's five oceans
(after the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean, but larger than the
Southern Ocean and Arctic Ocean). Four critically important access
waterways are the Suez Canal (Egypt), Bab el Mandeb
(Djibouti-Yemen), Strait of Hormuz (Iran-Oman), and Strait of
Malacca (Indonesia-Malaysia). The decision by the International
Hydrographic Organization in the spring of 2000 to delimit a fifth
ocean, the Southern Ocean, removed the portion of the Indian Ocean
south of 60 degrees south latitude.
Geography Indian Ocean
Location:
body of water between Africa, the Southern Ocean, Asia, and
Australia
Geographic coordinates:
20 00 S, 80 00 E
Map references:
Political Map of the World
Area:
total: 68.556 million sq km
note: includes Andaman Sea, Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Flores Sea,
Great Australian Bight, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Java Sea,
Mozambique Channel, Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Savu Sea, Strait of
Malacca, Timor Sea, and other tributary water bodies
Area - comparative:
about 5.5 times the size of the US
Coastline:
66,526 km
Climate:
northeast monsoon (December to April), southwest monsoon (June to
October); tropical cyclones occur during May/June and
October/November in the northern Indian Ocean and January/February
in the southern Indian Ocean
Terrain:
surface dominated by counterclockwise gyre (broad, circular system
of currents) in the southern Indian Ocean; unique reversal of
surface currents in the northern Indian Ocean; low atmospheric
pressure over southwest Asia from hot, rising, summer air results in
the southwest monsoon and southwest-to-northeast winds and currents,
while high pressure over northern Asia from cold, falling, winter
air results in the northeast monsoon and northeast-to-southwest
winds and currents; ocean floor is dominated by the Mid-Indian Ocean
Ridge and subdivided by the Southeast Indian Ocean Ridge, Southwest
Indian Ocean Ridge, and Ninetyeast Ridge
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Java Trench -7,258 m
highest point: sea level 0 m
Natural resources:
oil and gas fields, fish, shrimp, sand and gravel aggregates,
placer deposits, polymetallic nodules
Natural hazards:
occasional icebergs pose navigational hazard in southern reaches
Environment - current issues:
endangered marine species include the dugong, seals, turtles, and
whales; oil pollution in the Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf, and Red Sea
Geography - note:
major chokepoints include Bab el Mandeb, Strait of Hormuz, Strait
of Malacca, southern access to the Suez Canal, and the Lombok Strait
Economy Indian Ocean
Economy - overview:
The Indian Ocean provides major sea routes connecting the Middle
East, Africa, and East Asia with Europe and the Americas. It carries
a particularly heavy traffic of petroleum and petroleum products
from the oilfields of the Persian Gulf and Indonesia. Its fish are
of great and growing importance to the bordering countries for
domestic consumption and export. Fishing fleets from Russia, Japan,
South Korea, and Taiwan also exploit the Indian Ocean, mainly for
shrimp and tuna. Large reserves of hydrocarbons are being tapped in
the offshore areas of Saudi Arabia, Iran, India, and western
Australia. An estimated 40% of the world's offshore oil production
comes from the Indian Ocean. Beach sands rich in heavy minerals and
offshore placer deposits are actively exploited by bordering
countries, particularly India, South Africa, Indonesia, Sri Lanka,
and Thailand.
Transportation Indian Ocean
Ports and terminals:
Chennai (Madras; India), Colombo (Sri Lanka), Durban (South
Africa), Jakarta (Indonesia), Kolkata (Calcutta; India) Melbourne
(Australia), Mumbai (Bombay; India), Richards Bay (South Africa)
Transnational Issues Indian Ocean
Disputes - international: some maritime disputes (see littoral states)
This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
@Indonesia
Introduction Indonesia
Background:
The Dutch began to colonize Indonesia in the early 17th century;
the islands were occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945. Indonesia
declared its independence after Japan's surrender, but it required
four years of intermittent negotiations, recurring hostilities, and
UN mediation before the Netherlands agreed to relinquish its colony.
Indonesia is the world's largest archipelagic state and home to the
world's largest Muslim population. Current issues include:
alleviating poverty, preventing terrorism, consolidating democracy
after four decades of authoritarianism, implementing financial
sector reforms, stemming corruption, and holding the military and
police accountable for human rights violations. Indonesia was the
nation worst hit by the December 2004 tsunami, which particularly
affected Aceh province causing over 100,000 deaths and over $4
billion in damage. An additional earthquake in March 2005 created
heavy destruction on the island of Nias. Reconstruction in these
areas may take up to a decade. In 2005, Indonesia reached a historic
peace agreement with armed separatists in Aceh, but it continues to
face a low intensity separatist guerilla movement in Papua.
Geography Indonesia
Location:
Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Indian Ocean and the
Pacific Ocean
Geographic coordinates:
5 00 S, 120 00 E
Map references:
Southeast Asia
Area:
total: 1,919,440 sq km
land: 1,826,440 sq km
water: 93,000 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly less than three times the size of Texas
Land boundaries:
total: 2,830 km
border countries: East Timor 228 km, Malaysia 1,782 km, Papua New
Guinea 820 km
Coastline:
54,716 km
Maritime claims: measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands
Terrain:
mostly coastal lowlands; larger islands have interior mountains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Puncak Jaya 5,030 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, tin, natural gas, nickel, timber, bauxite, copper,
fertile soils, coal, gold, silver
Land use: arable land: 11.03% permanent crops: 7.04% other: 81.93% (2005)
Irrigated land:
45,000 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:
occasional floods, severe droughts, tsunamis, earthquakes,
volcanoes, forest fires
Environment - current issues:
deforestation; water pollution from industrial wastes, sewage; air
pollution in urban areas; smoke and haze from forest fires
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note:
archipelago of 17,508 islands (6,000 inhabited); straddles equator;
strategic location astride or along major sea lanes from Indian
Ocean to Pacific Ocean
People Indonesia
Population:
245,452,739 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 28.8% (male 35,995,919/female 34,749,582)
15-64 years: 65.8% (male 80,796,794/female 80,754,238)
65 years and over: 5.4% (male 5,737,473/female 7,418,733) (2006 est.)
Median age:
total: 26.8 years
male: 26.4 years
female: 27.3 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.41% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:
20.34 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:
6.25 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 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 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 34.39 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 39.36 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 29.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.87 years
male: 67.42 years
female: 72.45 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.4 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
110,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
2,400 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and chikungunya are
high risks in some locations
note: at present, H5N1 avian influenza poses a minimal risk; during
outbreaks among birds, rare cases could occur among US citizens who
have close contact with infected birds or poultry (2005)
Nationality:
noun: Indonesian(s)
adjective: Indonesian
Ethnic groups:
Javanese 45%, Sundanese 14%, Madurese 7.5%, coastal Malays 7.5%,
other 26%
Religions:
Muslim 88%, Protestant 5%, Roman Catholic 3%, Hindu 2%, Buddhist
1%, other 1% (1998)
Languages:
Bahasa Indonesia (official, modified form of Malay), English,
Dutch, local dialects, the most widely spoken of which is Javanese
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 87.9%
male: 92.5%
female: 83.4% (2002 est.)
Government Indonesia
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Indonesia
conventional short form: Indonesia
local long form: Republik Indonesia
local short form: Indonesia
former: Netherlands East Indies; Dutch East Indies
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Jakarta
geographic coordinates: 6 10 S, 106 48 E
time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
note: Indonesia is divided into three time zones
Administrative divisions:
30 provinces (propinsi-propinsi, singular - propinsi), 2 special
regions* (daerah-daerah istimewa, singular - daerah istimewa), and 1
special capital city district** (daerah khusus ibukota); Aceh*,
Bali, Banten, Bengkulu, Gorontalo, Irian Jaya Barat, Jakarta Raya**,
Jambi, Jawa Barat, Jawa Tengah, Jawa Timur, Kalimantan Barat,
Kalimantan Selatan, Kalimantan Tengah, Kalimantan Timur, Kepulauan
Bangka Belitung, Kepulauan Riau, Lampung, Maluku, Maluku Utara, Nusa
Tenggara Barat, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Papua, Riau, Sulawesi Barat,
Sulawesi Selatan, Sulawesi Tengah, Sulawesi Tenggara, Sulawesi
Utara, Sumatera Barat, Sumatera Selatan, Sumatera Utara, Yogyakarta*
note: following the implementation of decentralization beginning on
1 January 2001, the 440 districts or regencies have become the key
administrative units responsible for providing most government
services
Independence:
17 August 1945 (independence proclaimed); 27 December 1949
(Netherlands recognizes Indonesian independence)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 17 August (1945)
Constitution:
August 1945; abrogated by Federal Constitution of 1949 and
Provisional Constitution of 1950, restored 5 July 1959; series of
amemdments concluded in 2002
Legal system:
based on Roman-Dutch law, substantially modified by indigenous
concepts and by new criminal procedures and election codes; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
17 years of age; universal and married persons regardless of age
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Susilo Bambang YUDHOYONO (since 20
October 2004) and Vice President Muhammad Yusuf KALLA (since 20
October 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and
head of government
head of government: President Susilo Bambang YUDHOYONO (since 20
October 2004) and Vice President Muhammad Yusuf KALLA (since 20
October 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and
head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president and vice president were elected for five-year
terms (eligible for a second term) by direct vote of the citizenry;
last held 20 September 2004 (next to be held in 2009)
election results: Susilo Bambang YUDHOYONO elected president
receiving 60.6% of vote; MEGAWATI Sukarnoputri received 39.4%
Legislative branch:
House of Representatives or Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat (DPR) (550
seats; members elected to serve five-year terms); House of Regional
Representatives (Dewan Perwakilan Daerah or DPD), constitutionally
mandated role includes providing legislative input to DPR on issues
affecting regions; People's Consultative Assembly (Majelis
Permusyawaratan Rakyat or MPR) has role in inaugurating and
impeaching president and in amending constitution; consists of
popularly-elected members in DPR and DPD; MPR does not formulate
national policy
elections: last held 5 April 2004 (next to be held in 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - Golkar 21.6%, PDI-P
18.5%, PKB 10.6%, PPP 8.2%, PD 7.5%, PKS 7.3%, PAN 6.4%, others
19.9%; seats by party - Golkar 128, PDI-P 109, PPP 58, PD 55, PAN
53, PKB 52, PKS 45, others 50
note: because of election rules, the number of seats won does not
always follow the percentage of votes received by parties
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Mahkamah Agung (justices appointed by the
president from a list of candidates approved by the legislature); a
separate Constitutional Court or Mahkamah Konstitusi was invested by
the president on 16 August 2003; in March 2004 the Supreme Court
assumed administrative and financial responsibility for the lower
court system from the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights; Labor
Court under supervision of Supreme Court began functioning in
January 2006
Political parties and leaders:
Crescent Moon and Star Party or PBB [Yusril Ihza MAHENDRA];
Democratic Party or PD [Subur BUDHISANTOSO]; Functional Groups Party
or Golkar [Yusuf KALLA]; Indonesia Democratic Party-Struggle or
PDI-P [MEGAWATI Sukarnoputri]; National Awakening Party or PKB [Alwi
SHIHAB]; National Mandate Party or PAN [Sutrisno BACHIR]; Prosperous
Justice Party or PKS [Tifatul SEMBIRING]; United Development Party
or PPP [Hamzah HAZ]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, BIS, CP, EAS, FAO, G-15, G-77, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC,
NAM, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PIF (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UNMIL, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador SUDJADNAN Parnohadiningrat chancery: 2020 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: (202) 775-5200 FAX: (202) 775-5365 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador B. Lynn PASCOE embassy: Jalan 1 Medan Merdeka Selatan 4-5, Jakarta 10110 mailing address: Unit 8129, Box 1, FPO AP 96520 telephone: (21) 3435-9000 FAX: (21) 3435-9922 consulate(s) general: Surabaya consulate(s): Medan; Denpasar (consular agency)
Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; similar to the
flag of Monaco, which is shorter; also similar to the flag of
Poland, which is white (top) and red
Economy Indonesia
Economy - overview:
Indonesia, a vast polyglot nation, has struggled to overcome the
Asian financial crisis, and still grapples with high unemployment, a
fragile banking sector, endemic corruption, inadequate
infrastructure, a poor investment climate, and unequal resource
distribution among regions. Indonesia became a net oil importer in
2004 because of declining production and lack of new exploration
investment. In late December 2004, the Indian Ocean tsunami took
131,000 lives with another 37,000 missing, left some 570,000
displaced persons, and caused an estimated $4.5 billion in damages
and losses. The cost of subsidizing domestic fuel placed increasing
strain on the budget in 2005, and combined with indecisive monetary
policy, contributed to a run on the currency in August 2005,
prompting the government to enact a 126% average fuel price hike in
October. The resulting inflation and interest rate hikes dampened
growth prospects in 2006. However, in October 2006, Jakarta paid off
its outstanding IMF debt, incurred during the 1997-98 Asian
financial crisis, four years ahead of schedule. Keys to future
growth remain internal reform, building up the confidence of
international and domestic investors, and strong global economic
growth.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$869.7 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$270 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
5.6% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$3,600 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 13.4% industry: 45.8% services: 40.8% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 94.2 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 46.5% industry: 11.8% services: 41.7% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate:
11.8% (2005 est.)
Population below poverty line:
16.7% (2004)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.6% highest 10%: 28.5% (2002)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
34.3 (2002)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
10.5% (2005 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
22% of GDP (2005 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $54.3 billion
expenditures: $57.7 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2005 est.)
Public debt:
49.9% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products:
rice, cassava (tapioca), peanuts, rubber, cocoa, coffee, palm oil,
copra; poultry, beef, pork, eggs
Industries:
petroleum and natural gas, textiles, apparel, footwear, mining,
cement, chemical fertilizers, plywood, rubber, food, tourism
Industrial production growth rate:
4.8% (2005 est.)
Electricity - production:
120.2 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 86.9% hydro: 10.5% nuclear: 0% other: 2.6% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:
105.4 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2004)
Oil - production:
1.061 million bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption:
1.084 million bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - exports:
431,500 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - imports:
345,700 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - proved reserves:
4.6 billion bbl (2005 est.)
Natural gas - production:
83.4 billion cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
22.5 billion cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
37.5 billion cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
2.557 trillion cu m (2005)
Current account balance:
$2.016 billion (2005 est.)
Exports:
$83.64 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities:
oil and gas, electrical appliances, plywood, textiles, rubber
Exports - partners:
Japan 21.1%, US 11.5%, Singapore 9.2%, South Korea 8.3%, China
7.8%, Malaysia 4% (2005)
Imports:
$62.02 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
Singapore 16.4%, Japan 12%, China 10.1%, US 6.7%, Thailand 6%,
South Korea 5%, Saudi Arabia 4.7%, Australia 4.4% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$34.58 billion (2005 est.)
Debt - external:
$135 billion (2005 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
$43 billion
note: Indonesia finished its IMF program in December 2003 but still
receives bilateral aid through the Consultative Group on Indonesia
(CGI), which pledged $2.8 billion in grants and loans for 2004 and
again in 2005; nearly $5 billion in aid money pledged by a variety
bilateral, multilateral, and non-governmental organization (NGO)
donors following the 2004 tsunami; money is slated for use in relief
and rebuilding efforts in Aceh (2002)
Currency (code):
Indonesian rupiah (IDR)
Currency code:
IDR
Exchange rates:
Indonesian rupiahs per US dollar - 9,704.7 (2005), 8,938.9 (2004),
8,577.1 (2003), 9,311.2 (2002), 10,260.9 (2001)
Fiscal year:
calendar year; note - previously was 1 April - 31 March, but
starting with 2001, has been changed to calendar year
Communications Indonesia
Telephones - main lines in use:
12.772 million (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
46.91 million (2005)
Telephone system:
general assessment: domestic service fair, international service
good
domestic: interisland microwave system and HF radio police net;
domestic satellite communications system
international: country code - 62; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 678, FM 43, shortwave 82 (1998)
Radios:
31.5 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 54 local TV stations note: 11 national TV networks; each with their own group of local, often low power, transmitters (2006)
Televisions:
13.75 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.id
Internet hosts:
170,834 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
24 (2000)
Internet users:
16 million (2005)
Transportation Indonesia
Airports: 662 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 159 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 15 1,524 to 2,437 m: 49 914 to 1,523 m: 49 under 914 m: 42 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 503 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 26 under 914 m: 471 (2006)
Heliports:
23 (2006)
Pipelines:
condensate 944 km; condensate/gas 135 km; gas 9,175 km; oil 7,684
km; oil/gas/water 89 km; refined products 1,367 km (2006)
Railways:
total: 6,458 km
narrow gauge: 5,961 km 1.067-m gauge (125 km electrified); 497 km
0.750-m gauge (2005)
Roadways:
total: 368,360 km
paved: 213,649 km
unpaved: 154,711 km (2002)
Waterways:
21,579 km (2005)
Merchant marine:
total: 824 ships (1000 GRT or over) 3,773,771 GRT/4,887,614 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 43, cargo 451, chemical tanker 21, container
50, liquefied gas 7, livestock carrier 1, passenger 41,
passenger/cargo 58, petroleum tanker 132, refrigerated cargo 2, roll
on/roll off 12, specialized tanker 4, vehicle carrier 2
foreign-owned: 30 (France 1, Germany 1, Japan 3, South Korea 1,
Norway 1, Philippines 1, Singapore 17, Switzerland 3, UK 2)
registered in other countries: 122 (Bahamas 4, Belize 2, Bermuda 1,
Cambodia 1, Georgia 1, Hong Kong 4, Liberia 1, Panama 50, Singapore
56, Thailand 1, unknown 1) (2006)
Ports and terminals:
Banjarmasin, Belawan, Ciwandan, Krueg Geukueh, Palembang, Panjang,
Sungai Pakning, Tanjung Perak, Tanjung Priok
Military Indonesia
Military branches:
Indonesia Armed Forces (Tentara Nasional Indonesia, TNI): Army
(TNI-AD), Navy (TNI-AL, includes marines, naval air arm), Air Force
(TNI-AU)
note: the TNI is directly subordinate to the president but the
government is making efforts to incorporate it into the Department
of Defense
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service;
conscript service obligation - two years (2002)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 60,543,028
females age 18-49: 59,981,730 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 48,687,234
females age 18-49: 50,252,911 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 2,201,047
females age 18-49: 2,139,573 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$1.3 billion (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
3% (2004)
Transnational Issues Indonesia
Disputes - international:
East Timor-Indonesia Boundary Committee continues to meet, survey,
and delimit land boundary, but several sections of the boundary
remain unresolved; many East Timorese refugees who left in 2003
still reside in Indonesia and refuse repatriation; Indonesia and
East Timor contest the sovereignty of the uninhabited coral island
of Pulau Batek/Fatu Sinai, which hinders a decision on a northern
maritime boundary; a 1997 treaty between Indonesia and Australia
settled some parts of their maritime boundary but outstanding issues
remain; ICJ's award of Sipadan and Ligitan islands to Malaysia in
2002 left maritime boundary in the hydrocarbon-rich Celebes Sea in
dispute, culminating in hostile confrontations in March 2005 over
concessions to the Ambalat oil block; the ICJ decision has prompted
Indonesia to assert claims to and to establish a presence on its
smaller outer islands; Indonesia and Singapore pledged in 2005 to
finalize their 1973 maritime boundary agreement by defining
unresolved areas north of Batam Island; Indonesian secessionists,
squatters, and illegal migrants create repatriation problems for
Papua New Guinea; piracy remains a problem in the Malacca Strait
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 570,000 (resulting from 26 December 2004 tsunami) 500,000
(government offensives against rebels in Aceh; most IDPs in Aceh,
Central Kalimantan, Maluku, and Central Sulawesi Provinces); (2005)
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Indonesia is a source, transit, and destination
country for women, children and men trafficked for the purposes of
sexual exploitation and forced labor; Indonesian victims are
trafficked to Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Hong Kong,
Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore; a significant number of
Indonesian women who go overseas each year to work as domestic
servants or "cultural performers" are subjected to conditions of
involuntary servitude and commercial sexual exploitation; to a
minimal extent, Indonesia is a destination for women from East Asia,
Europe, and South America who are trafficked for sexual
exploitation; there is extensive trafficking within Indonesia from
rural to urban metropolitan areas particularly for sexual
exploitation and involuntary domestic servitude
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Indonesia is placed on the Tier 2
Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts
to combat trafficking
Illicit drugs:
illicit producer of cannabis largely for domestic use; producer of
methamphetamine and ecstasy
This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
@Iran
Introduction Iran
Background:
Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979
after the ruling monarchy was overthrown and the shah was forced
into exile. Conservative clerical forces established a theocratic
system of government with ultimate political authority nominally
vested in a learned religious scholar. Iranian-US relations have
been strained since a group of Iranian students seized the US
Embassy in Tehran on 4 November 1979 and held it until 20 January
1981. During 1980-88, Iran fought a bloody, indecisive war with Iraq
that eventually expanded into the Persian Gulf and led to clashes
between US Navy and Iranian military forces between 1987-1988. Iran
has been designated a state sponsor of terrorism for its activities
in Lebanon and elsewhere in the world and remains subject to US
economic sanctions and export controls because of its continued
involvement. Following the elections of a reformist president and
Majlis in the late 1990s, attempts to foster political reform in
response to popular dissatisfaction floundered as conservative
politicians prevented reform measures from being enacted, increased
repressive measures, and made electoral gains against reformers.
Parliamentary elections in 2004 and the August 2005 inauguration of
a conservative stalwart as president, completed the reconsolidation
of conservative power in Iran's government.
Geography Iran
Location:
Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the
Caspian Sea, between Iraq and Pakistan
Geographic coordinates:
32 00 N, 53 00 E
Map references:
Middle East
Area:
total: 1.648 million sq km
land: 1.636 million sq km
water: 12,000 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Alaska
Land boundaries:
total: 5,440 km
border countries: Afghanistan 936 km, Armenia 35 km,
Azerbaijan-proper 432 km, Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave 179 km, Iraq
1,458 km, Pakistan 909 km, Turkey 499 km, Turkmenistan 992 km
Coastline:
2,440 km; note - Iran also borders the Caspian Sea (740 km)
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: bilateral agreements or median lines in the
Persian Gulf
continental shelf: natural prolongation
Climate:
mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast
Terrain:
rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts,
mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caspian Sea -28 m
highest point: Kuh-e Damavand 5,671 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead,
manganese, zinc, sulfur
Land use: arable land: 9.78% permanent crops: 1.29% other: 88.93% (2005)
Irrigated land:
76,500 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:
periodic droughts, floods; dust storms, sandstorms; earthquakes
Environment - current issues:
air pollution, especially in urban areas, from vehicle emissions,
refinery operations, and industrial effluents; deforestation;
overgrazing; desertification; oil pollution in the Persian Gulf;
wetland losses from drought; soil degradation (salination);
inadequate supplies of potable water; water pollution from raw
sewage and industrial waste; urbanization
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection,
Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the
Sea, Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note:
strategic location on the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, which
are vital maritime pathways for crude oil transport
People Iran
Population:
68,688,433 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 26.1% (male 9,204,785/female 8,731,429)
15-64 years: 69% (male 24,133,919/female 23,245,255)
65 years and over: 4.9% (male 1,653,827/female 1,719,218) (2006 est.)
Median age:
total: 24.8 years
male: 24.6 years
female: 25 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.1% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:
17 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:
5.55 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:
-0.48 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: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female
total population: 1.04 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 40.3 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 40.49 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 40.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.26 years
male: 68.86 years
female: 71.74 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.8 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
31,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
800 (2003 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Iranian(s)
adjective: Iranian
Ethnic groups:
Persian 51%, Azeri 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab
3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1%
Religions:
Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 9%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian,
and Baha'i 2%
Languages:
Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%,
Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2%
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 79.4%
male: 85.6%
female: 73% (2003 est.)
Government Iran
Country name:
conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Iran
conventional short form: Iran
local long form: Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran
local short form: Iran
former: Persia
Government type:
theocratic republic
Capital:
name: Tehran
geographic coordinates: 35 40 N, 51 26 E
time difference: UTC+3.5 (8.5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
30 provinces (ostanha, singular - ostan); Ardabil, Azarbayjan-e
Gharbi, Azarbayjan-e Sharqi, Bushehr, Chahar Mahall va Bakhtiari,
Esfahan, Fars, Gilan, Golestan, Hamadan, Hormozgan, Ilam, Kerman,
Kermanshah, Khorasan-e Janubi, Khorasan-e Razavi, Khorasan-e
Shemali, Khuzestan, Kohgiluyeh va Buyer Ahmad, Kordestan, Lorestan,
Markazi, Mazandaran, Qazvin, Qom, Semnan, Sistan va Baluchestan,
Tehran, Yazd, Zanjan
Independence:
1 April 1979 (Islamic Republic of Iran proclaimed)
National holiday:
Republic Day, 1 April (1979)
note: additional holidays celebrated widely in Iran include
Revolution Day, 11 February (1979); Noruz (New Year's Day), 21
March; Constitutional Monarchy Day, 5 August (1925); and various
Islamic observances that change in accordance with the lunar-based
hejira calendar
Constitution:
2-3 December 1979; revised 1989 to expand powers of the presidency
and eliminate the prime ministership
Legal system:
the Constitution codifies Islamic principles of government
Suffrage:
15 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Supreme Leader Ali Hoseini-KHAMENEI (since 4 June
1989)
head of government: President Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD (since 3 August
2005); First Vice President Parviz DAVUDI (since 11 September 2005)
cabinet: Council of Ministers selected by the president with
legislative approval; the Supreme Leader has some control over
appointments to the more sensitive ministries
note: also considered part of the Executive branch of government are
three oversight bodies: 1) Assembly of Experts, a popularly elected
body of 86 religious scholars constitutionally charged with
determining the succession of the Supreme Leader, reviewing his
performance, and deposing him if deemed necessary; 2) Expediency
Council or Council for the Discernment of Expediency is a policy
advisory and implementation board consisting of permanent and
temporary members representing all major government factions, some
of whom are appointed by the Supreme Leader; the Council exerts
supervisory authority over the executive, judicial, and legislative
branches and resolves legislative issues on which the Majles and the
Council of Guardians disagree; 3) Council of Guardians or Council of
Guardians of the Constitution is a 12-member board of clerics and
jurists serving six-year terms that determines whether proposed
legislation is both constitutional and faithful to Islamic law; the
Council also vets candidates for suitability and supervises national
elections
elections: Supreme Leader appointed for life by the Assembly of
Experts; president elected by popular vote for a four-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held 17 June 2005 with a
two-candidate runoff on 24 June 2005 (next to be held in 2009)
election results: Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD elected president; percent of
vote - Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD 62%, Ali Akbar Hashemi RAFSANJANI 36%
Legislative branch:
unicameral Islamic Consultative Assembly or
Majles-e-Shura-ye-Eslami (290 seats - formerly 270 seats; members
elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 20 February 2004 with a runoff held 7 May 2004
(by-elections next to be held in December 2006; general election to
be held in February 2008)
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats by party -
conservatives/Islamists 190, reformers 50, independents 43,
religious minorities 5, and 2 seats unaccounted for
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court - above a special clerical court, a revolutionary
court, and a special administrative court
Political parties and leaders:
formal political parties are a relatively new phenomenon in Iran
and most conservatives still prefer to work through political
pressure groups rather than parties; a loose pro-reform coalition
called the 2nd Khordad Front, which includes political parties as
well as less formal pressure groups and organizations, achieved
considerable success at elections to the sixth Majles in early 2000;
groups in the coalition include: Islamic Iran Participation Front
(IIPF), Executives of Construction Party (Kargozaran), Solidarity
Party, Islamic Labor Party, Mardom Salari, Mojahedin of the Islamic
Revolution Organization (MIRO), and Militant Clerics Society
(Ruhaniyun); the coalition participated in the seventh Majles
elections in early 2004; following his defeat in the 2005
presidential elections, former MCS Secretary General Mehdi KARRUBI
formed the National Trust Party; a new apparently conservative
group, the Builders of Islamic Iran, took a leading position in the
new Majles after winning a majority of the seats in February 2004
Political pressure groups and leaders: political pressure groups conduct most of Iran's political activities; groups that generally support the Islamic Republic include Ansar-e Hizballah, Muslim Students Following the Line of the Imam, Tehran Militant Clergy Association (Ruhaniyat), Islamic Coalition Party (Motalefeh), and Islamic Engineers Society; active pro-reform student groups include the Office of Strengthening Unity (OSU); opposition groups include Freedom Movement of Iran, the National Front, Marz-e Por Gohar, and various ethnic and Monarchist organizations; armed political groups that have been almost completely repressed by the government include Mujahidin-e Khalq Organization (MEK), People's Fedayeen, Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, and Komala
International organization participation:
ABEDA, CP, ECO, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt
(signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA,
SCO (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU, WCL,
WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US: none; note - Iran has an Interests Section in the Pakistani Embassy; address: Iranian Interests Section, Pakistani Embassy, 2209 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007; telephone: (202) 965-4990; FAX (202) 965-1073
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none; note - protecting power in Iran is Switzerland
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red; the
national emblem (a stylized representation of the word Allah in the
shape of a tulip, a symbol of martyrdom) in red is centered in the
white band; ALLAH AKBAR (God is Great) in white Arabic script is
repeated 11 times along the bottom edge of the green band and 11
times along the top edge of the red band
Economy Iran
Economy - overview:
Iran's economy is marked by a bloated, inefficient state sector,
over reliance on the oil sector, and statist policies that create
major distortions throughout. Most economic activity is controlled
by the state. Private sector activity is typically small-scale -
workshops, farming, and services. President Mahmud AHMADI-NEJAD has
continued to follow the market reform plans of former President
RAFSANJANI, with limited progress. Relatively high oil prices in
recent years have enabled Iran to amass some $40 billion in foreign
exchange reserves, but have not eased economic hardships such as
high unemployment and inflation. The proportion of the economy
devoted to the development of weapons of mass destruction remains a
contentious issue with leading Western nations.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$569.9 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$181.2 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
6.9% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$8,400 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 11.6% industry: 42.4% services: 46% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 23.68 million note: shortage of skilled labor (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 30% industry: 25% services: 45% (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate:
11.2% (2004 est.)
Population below poverty line:
40% (2002 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
43 (1998)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
13.5% (2005 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
30.1% of GDP (2005 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $48.82 billion
expenditures: $60.4 billion; including capital expenditures of $7.6
billion (2005 est.)
Public debt:
28.9% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products:
wheat, rice, other grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton; dairy
products, wool; caviar
Industries:
petroleum, petrochemicals, textiles, cement and other construction
materials, food processing (particularly sugar refining and
vegetable oil production), metal fabrication, armaments
Industrial production growth rate:
3% excluding oil (2005 est.)
Electricity - production:
142.3 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 97.1% hydro: 2.9% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:
132.1 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports:
840 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports:
600 million kWh (2003)
Oil - production:
3.979 million bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption:
1.425 million bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports:
2.5 million bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day
Oil - proved reserves:
133.3 billion bbl (2005 est.)
Natural gas - production:
79 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
79 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
3.4 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
4.92 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
26.62 trillion cu m (2005)
Current account balance:
$13.27 billion (2005 est.)
Exports:
$55.42 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities:
petroleum 80%, chemical and petrochemical products, fruits and
nuts, carpets
Exports - partners:
Japan 16.6%, China 11%, Italy 5.8%, South Korea 5.7%, South Africa
5.7%, Turkey 5.6%, Netherlands 4.5%, France 4.3% (2005)
Imports:
$42.5 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities:
industrial raw materials and intermediate goods, capital goods,
foodstuffs and other consumer goods, technical services, military
supplies
Imports - partners:
Germany 13.8%, UAE 8.3%, China 8.3%, Italy 7%, France 6.2%, South
Korea 5.4%, Russia 4.8% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$45.46 billion (2005 est.)
Debt - external:
$19.06 billion (2005 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
$408 million (2002 est.)
Currency (code):
Iranian rial (IRR)
Currency code:
IRR
Exchange rates:
rials per US dollar - 8,964 (2005), 8,614 (2004), 8,193.9 (2003),
6,907 (2002), 1,753.6 (2001)
note: Iran has been using a managed floating exchange rate regime
since unifying multiple exchange rates in March 2002
Fiscal year:
21 March - 20 March
Communications Iran
Telephones - main lines in use:
18.986 million (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
7.222 million (2005)
Telephone system:
general assessment: inadequate, but currently being modernized and
expanded with the goal of not only improving the efficiency and
increasing the volume of the urban service but also bringing
telephone service to several thousand villages, not presently
connected
domestic: as a result of heavy investing in the telephone system
since 1994, the number of long-distance channels in the microwave
radio relay trunk has grown substantially; many villages have been
brought into the net; the number of main lines in the urban systems
has approximately doubled; thousands of mobile cellular subscribers
are being served; moreover, the technical level of the system has
been raised by the installation of thousands of digital switches
international: country code - 98; HF radio and microwave radio relay
to Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Syria,
Kuwait, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; submarine fiber-optic cable to
UAE with access to Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG);
Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line runs from Azerbaijan
through the northern portion of Iran to Turkmenistan with expansion
to Georgia and Azerbaijan; satellite earth stations - 9 Intelsat and
4 Inmarsat
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 72, FM 5, shortwave 5 (1998)
Radios:
17 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
28 (plus 450 low-power repeaters) (1997)
Televisions:
4.61 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.ir
Internet hosts:
5,242 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
100 (2002)
Internet users:
7.5 million (2005)
Transportation Iran
Airports: 321 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 129 over 3,047 m: 41 2,438 to 3,047 m: 26 1,524 to 2,437 m: 25 914 to 1,523 m: 31 under 914 m: 6 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 192 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 140 under 914 m: 43 (2006)
Heliports:
15 (2006)
Pipelines:
condensate 7 km; condensate/gas 397 km; gas 17,099 km; liquid
petroleum gas 570 km; oil 8,521 km; refined products 7,808 km (2006)
Railways:
total: 7,256 km
broad gauge: 94 km 1.676-m gauge
standard gauge: 7,162 km 1.435-m gauge (186 km electrified) (2005)
Roadways:
total: 178,152 km
paved: 118,115 km (including 751 km of expressways)
unpaved: 60,037 km (2002)
Waterways:
850 km (850 km on Karun River; additional service on Lake Urmia)
(2006)
Merchant marine:
total: 141 ships (1000 GRT or over) 5,086,702 GRT/8,878,829 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 39, cargo 45, chemical tanker 4, container 12,
liquefied gas 1, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker
30, roll on/roll off 3
foreign-owned: 1 (UAE 1)
registered in other countries: 22 (Bolivia 1, Cyprus 2, Malta 14,
Panama 4, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2006)
Ports and terminals:
Assaluyeh, Bushehr
Military Iran
Military branches:
Islamic Republic of Iran Regular Forces (Artesh): Ground Forces,
Navy, Air Force (Niruye Havayi Jomhuriye Islamiye Iran; includes air
defense); Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (Sepah-e Pasdaran-e
Enqelab-e Eslami, IRGC): Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force, Qods Force
(special operations), and Basij Force (Popular Mobilization Army);
Law Enforcement Forces (2006)
Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory military service; 16 years of age for volunteers; soldiers as young as 9 were recruited extensively during the Iran-Iraq War; conscript service obligation - 18 months (2004)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 18,319,545
females age 18-49: 17,541,037 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 15,665,725
females age 18-49: 15,005,597 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 862,056
females age 18-49: 808,044 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$4.3 billion (2003 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
3.3% (2003 est.)
Transnational Issues Iran
Disputes - international:
Iran protests Afghanistan's limiting flow of dammed tributaries to
the Helmand River in periods of drought; Iraq's lack of a maritime
boundary with Iran prompts jurisdiction disputes beyond the mouth of
the Shatt al Arab in the Persian Gulf; Iran and UAE dispute Tunb
Islands and Abu Musa Island, which are occupied by Iran; Iran stands
alone among littoral states in insisting upon a division of the
Caspian Sea into five equal sectors
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 952,802 (Afghanistan) 93,173 (Iraq)
(2005)
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Iran is a source, transit, and destination
country for women and girls trafficked for the purposes of sexual
exploitation and involuntary servitude; according to foreign
observers, women and girls are trafficked to Pakistan, Turkey, the
Persian Gulf, and Europe for sexual exploitation, while boys from
Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan are trafficked through Iran en
route to Persian Gulf states where they are ultimately forced to
work as camel jockeys, beggars, or laborers; Afghan women and girls
are trafficked to the country for forced marriages and sexual
exploitation; women and children are also trafficked internally for
the purposes of forced marriage, sexual exploitation, and
involuntary servitude
tier rating: Tier 3 - Iran is downgraded to Tier 3 after persistent,
credible reports of Iranian authorities punishing victims of
trafficking with beatings, imprisonment, and execution
Illicit drugs:
despite substantial interdiction efforts, Iran remains a key
transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin to Europe; domestic
narcotics consumption remains a persistent problem and according to
official Iranian statistics there are at least 2 million drug users
in the country; lacks anti-money-laundering laws
This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
@Iraq
Introduction Iraq
Background:
Formerly part of the Ottoman Empire, Iraq was occupied by Britain
during the course of World War I; in 1920, it was declared a League
of Nations mandate under UK administration. In stages over the next
dozen years, Iraq attained its independence as a kingdom in 1932. A
"republic" was proclaimed in 1958, but in actuality a series of
military strongmen ruled the country, the latest was SADDAM Husayn.
Territorial disputes with Iran led to an inconclusive and costly
eight-year war (1980-88). In August 1990, Iraq seized Kuwait, but
was expelled by US-led, UN coalition forces during the Gulf War of
January-February 1991. Following Kuwait's liberation, the UN
Security Council (UNSC) required Iraq to scrap all weapons of mass
destruction and long-range missiles and to allow UN verification
inspections. Continued Iraqi noncompliance with UNSC resolutions
over a period of 12 years led to the US-led invasion of Iraq in
March 2003 and the ouster of the SADDAM Husayn regime. Coalition
forces remain in Iraq, helping to restore degraded infrastructure
and facilitating the establishment of a freely elected government,
while simultaneously dealing with a robust insurgency. The Coalition
Provisional Authority, which temporarily administered Iraq after the
invasion, transferred full governmental authority on 28 June 2004,
to the Iraqi Interim Government (IG), which governed under the
Transitional Administrative Law for Iraq (TAL). Under the TAL,
elections for a 275-member Transitional National Assembly (TNA) were
held in Iraq on 30 January 2005. Following these elections, the
Iraqi Transitional Government (ITG) assumed office. The TNA was
charged with drafting Iraq's permanent constitution, which was
approved in a 15 October 2005 constitutional referendum. An election
under the constitution for a 275-member Council of Representatives
(CoR) was held in December 2005. The CoR approval in the selection
of most of the cabinet ministers on 20 May 2006 marked the
transition from the ITG to Iraq's full-term government.
Geography Iraq
Location:
Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait
Geographic coordinates:
33 00 N, 44 00 E
Map references:
Middle East
Area:
total: 437,072 sq km
land: 432,162 sq km
water: 4,910 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly more than twice the size of Idaho
Land boundaries:
total: 3,650 km
border countries: Iran 1,458 km, Jordan 181 km, Kuwait 240 km, Saudi
Arabia 814 km, Syria 605 km, Turkey 352 km
Coastline:
58 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: not specified
Climate:
mostly desert; mild to cool winters with dry, hot, cloudless
summers; northern mountainous regions along Iranian and Turkish
borders experience cold winters with occasionally heavy snows that
melt in early spring, sometimes causing extensive flooding in
central and southern Iraq
Terrain:
mostly broad plains; reedy marshes along Iranian border in south
with large flooded areas; mountains along borders with Iran and
Turkey
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: unnamed peak; 3,611 m; note - this peak is not Gundah
Zhur 3,607 m or Kuh-e Hajji-Ebrahim 3,595 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur
Land use: arable land: 13.12% permanent crops: 0.61% other: 86.27% (2005)
Irrigated land:
35,250 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:
dust storms, sandstorms, floods
Environment - current issues:
government water control projects have drained most of the
inhabited marsh areas east of An Nasiriyah by drying up or diverting
the feeder streams and rivers; a once sizable population of Marsh
Arabs, who inhabited these areas for thousands of years, has been
displaced; furthermore, the destruction of the natural habitat poses
serious threats to the area's wildlife populations; inadequate
supplies of potable water; development of the Tigris and Euphrates
rivers system contingent upon agreements with upstream riparian
Turkey; air and water pollution; soil degradation (salination) and
erosion; desertification
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Law of the Sea
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Geography - note:
strategic location on Shatt al Arab waterway and at the head of the
Persian Gulf
People Iraq
Population:
26,783,383 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 39.7% (male 5,398,645/female 5,231,760)
15-64 years: 57.3% (male 7,776,257/female 7,576,726)
65 years and over: 3% (male 376,700/female 423,295) (2006 est.)
Median age:
total: 19.7 years
male: 19.6 years
female: 19.8 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.66% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:
31.98 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:
5.37 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 48.64 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 54.39 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 42.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.01 years
male: 67.76 years
female: 70.31 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:
4.18 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
less than 500 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Iraqi(s)
adjective: Iraqi
Ethnic groups:
Arab 75%-80%, Kurdish 15%-20%, Turkoman, Assyrian or other 5%
Religions:
Muslim 97% (Shi'a 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%), Christian or other 3%
Languages:
Arabic, Kurdish (official in Kurdish regions), Assyrian, Armenian
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 40.4%
male: 55.9%
female: 24.4% (2003 est.)
Government Iraq
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Iraq
conventional short form: Iraq
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Iraqiyah
local short form: Al Iraq
Government type:
transitional democracy
Capital:
name: Baghdad
geographic coordinates: 33 21 N, 44 25 E
time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins 1 April; ends 1 October
Administrative divisions:
18 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Anbar, Al
Basrah, Al Muthanna, Al Qadisiyah, An Najaf, Arbil, As Sulaymaniyah,
At Ta'mim, Babil, Baghdad, Dahuk, Dhi Qar, Diyala, Karbala', Maysan,
Ninawa, Salah ad Din, Wasit
Independence:
3 October 1932 (from League of Nations mandate under British
administration); note - on 28 June 2004 the Coalition Provisional
Authority transferred sovereignty to the Iraqi Interim Government
National holiday:
Revolution Day, 17 July (1968); note - this holiday was celebrated
under the SADDAM Husayn regime but the Iraqi Interim Government has
yet to declare a new national holiday
Constitution:
ratified on 15 October 2005
Legal system:
based on European civil and Islamic law under the framework
outlined in the Iraqi Constitution
Suffrage:
formerly 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Jalal TALABANI (since 6 April 2005); Vice
Presidents Adil ABD AL-MAHDI and Tariq al-HASHIMI (since 22 April
2006); note - the president and vice presidents comprise the
Presidency Council)
head of government: Prime Minister Nuri al-MALIKI (since 20 May
2006); Deputy Prime Ministers Barham SALIH and Salam al-ZUBAI (since
20 May 2006)
cabinet: 37 ministers appointed by the Presidency Council, plus
Prime Minister Nuri al-MALIKI, and Deputy Prime Ministers Barham
SALIH and Salam al-ZUBAI
elections: held 15 December 2005 to elect a 275-member Council of
Representatives
Legislative branch:
unicameral Council of Representatives or Mejlis Watani (consisting
of 275 members elected by a closed-list, proportional-representation
system)
elections: held 15 December 2005 to elect a 275-member Council of
Representatives that will finalize a permanent constitution
election results: Council of Representatives - percent of vote by
party - NA; number of seats by party - NA
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court appointed by the Prime Minister, confirmed by the
Presidency Council
Political parties and leaders:
Al-Sadr Movement [Muqtada Al-SADR]; Assyrian Democratic Movement
[Yunadim KANNA]; Conference of Iraqi People [Adnan al-DULAYMI];
Constitutional Monarchy Movement or CMM [Sharif Ali Bin al-HUSAYN];
Da'wa Party [Ibrahim al-JA'FARI]; Independent Iraqi Alliance or IIA
[Falah al-NAQIB]; Iraqi Communist Party [Hamid al-MUSA]; Iraqi
Hizballah [Karim Mahud al-MUHAMMADAWI]; Iraqi Independent Democrats
or IID [Adnan PACHACHI, Mahdi al-HAFIZ]; Iraqi Islamic Party or IIP
[Muhsin Abd al-HAMID, Hajim al-HASSANI]; Iraqi National Accord or
INA [Ayad ALLAWI]; Iraqi National Congress or INC [Ahmad CHALABI];
Iraqi National Council for Dialogue or INCD [Khalaf Ulayan
al-Khalifawi al-DULAYMI]; Iraqi National Unity Movement or INUM
[Ahmad al-KUBAYSI, chairman]; Islamic Action Organization or IAO
[Ayatollah Muhammad al-MUDARRISI]; Jama'at al Fadilah or JAF
[Ayatollah Muhammad Ali al-YAQUBI]; Kurdistan Democratic Party or
KDP [Masud BARZANI]; Muslim Ulama Council or MUC [Harith Sulayman
al-DARI, secretary general]; National Iraqi Front [Salih al-MUTLAQ];
National Reconciliation and Liberation Party [Mishan al-JABBURI];
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan or PUK [Jalal TALABANI]; Supreme
Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq or SCIRI [Abd al-Aziz
al-HAKIM]
note: the Kurdistan Alliance, Iraqi National List, Iraqi Consensus
Front, Iraqi Front for National Dialogue, and United Iraqi Alliance
were only electoral slates consisting of the representatives from
the various Iraqi political parties
Political pressure groups and leaders: an insurgency against the Iraqi Transitional Government and Coalition forces is primarily concentrated in Baghdad and in areas west and north of the capital; the diverse, multigroup insurgency is led principally by Sunni Arabs whose only common denominator is a shared desire to oust the Coalition and end US influence in Iraq
International organization participation:
ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA,
IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAS,
NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Samir Shakir al-SUMAYDI
chancery: 1801 P Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: (202) 483-7500
FAX: (202) 462-5066
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Zalmay KHALILZAD
embassy: Baghdad
mailing address: APO AE 09316
telephone: 00-1-240-553-0584 ext. 5340 or 5635; note - Consular
Section
FAX: NA
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black with
three green five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centered in the
white band; the phrase ALLAHU AKBAR (God is Great) in green Arabic
script - Allahu to the right of the middle star and Akbar to the
left of the middle star - was added in January 1991 during the
Persian Gulf crisis; similar to the flag of Syria, which has two
stars but no script, Yemen, which has a plain white band, and that
of Egypt which has a gold Eagle of Saladin centered in the white
band; design is based upon the Arab Liberation colors
Economy Iraq
Economy - overview:
Iraq's economy is dominated by the oil sector, which has
traditionally provided about 95% of foreign exchange earnings.
Iraq's seizure of Kuwait in August 1990, subsequent international
economic sanctions, and damage from military action by an
international coalition beginning in January 1991 drastically
reduced economic activity. Although government policies supporting
large military and internal security forces and allocating resources
to key supporters of the regime hurt the economy, implementation of
the UN's oil-for-food program, which began in December 1996, helped
improve conditions for the average Iraqi citizen. Iraq was allowed
to export limited amounts of oil in exchange for food, medicine, and
some infrastructure spare parts. In December 1999, the UN Security
Council authorized Iraq to export under the program as much oil as
required to meet humanitarian needs. Per capita food imports
increased significantly, while medical supplies and health care
services steadily improved. Per capita output and living standards
were still well below the pre-1991 level, but any estimates have a
wide range of error. The military victory of the US-led coalition in
March-April 2003 resulted in the shutdown of much of the central
economic administrative structure. Although a comparatively small
amount of capital plant was damaged during the hostilities, looting,
insurgent attacks, and sabotage have undermined efforts to rebuild
the economy. Attacks on key economic facilities - especially oil
pipelines and infrastructure - have prevented Iraq from reaching
projected export volumes, but total government revenues have been
higher than anticipated due to high oil prices. Despite political
uncertainty, Iraq has established the institutions needed to
implement economic policy, has successfully concluded a three-stage
debt reduction agreement with the Paris Club, and is working toward
a Standby Arrangement with the IMF. The Standby Arrangement would
clear the way for continued debt relief from the Paris Club.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$94.1 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$46.5 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-3% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,800 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 7.3% industry: 66.6% services: 26.1% (2004 est.)
Labor force: 7.4 million (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
Unemployment rate:
25% to 30% (2005 est.)
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
33% (2005 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $19.3 billion
expenditures: $24 billion; including capital expenditures of $5
billion (2005 budget)
Agriculture - products:
wheat, barley, rice, vegetables, dates, cotton; cattle, sheep,
poultry
Industries:
petroleum, chemicals, textiles, leather, construction materials,
food processing, fertilizer, metal fabrication/processing
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
31.7 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 98.4% hydro: 1.6% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:
33.3 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports:
2.02 billion kWh (2005)
Oil - production:
2.093 million bbl/day; note - prewar production (in 2002) was 2.03
million bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption:
351,500 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - exports:
1.42 million bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day
Oil - proved reserves:
112.5 billion bbl (2005 est.)
Natural gas - production:
1.5 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
1.5 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
3.115 trillion cu m (2005)
Current account balance:
$-9.447 billion (2004 est.)
Exports:
$17.78 billion f.o.b. (2004)
Exports - commodities:
crude oil (83.9%), crude materials excluding fuels (8.0%), food and
live animals (5.0%)
Exports - partners:
US 49.3%, Italy 10.3%, Spain 6.2%, Canada 5.6% (2005)
Imports:
$19.57 billion f.o.b. (2004)
Imports - commodities:
food, medicine, manufactures
Imports - partners:
Turkey 23.2%, Syria 23%, US 11.6%, Jordan 5.1% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$9.161 billion (2005 est.)
Debt - external:
$92.33 billion (2005 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
more than $33 billion in foreign aid pledged for 2004-07 (2004)
Currency (code):
New Iraqi dinar (NID) as of 22 January 2004
Currency code:
NID, IQD prior to 22 January 2004
Exchange rates:
New Iraqi dinars per US dollar - 1,475 (2005), 1,890 (second half,
2003), 0.3109 (2001)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications Iraq
Telephones - main lines in use:
1,034,200 (2004)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
574,000 (2004)
Telephone system:
general assessment: the 2003 war severely disrupted
telecommunications throughout Iraq including international
connections; USAID is overseeing the repair of switching capability
and the construction of mobile and satellite communication facilities
domestic: repairs to switches and lines destroyed during the 2003
war continue, but sabotage remains a problem; additional switching
capacity is improving access; cellular service is available and
centered on three regional GSM networks, improving country-wide
connectivity
international: country code - 964; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik
(Atlantic Ocean region), and 1 Arabsat (inoperative); coaxial cable
and microwave radio relay to Jordan, Kuwait, Syria, and Turkey;
despite a new satellite gateway, international calls outside of
Baghdad remain problematic
Radio broadcast stations: after 17 months of unregulated media growth, there are approximately 80 radio stations on the air inside Iraq (2004)
Radios:
4.85 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
21 (2004)
Televisions:
1.75 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.iq
Internet hosts:
5 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)
Internet users:
36,000 (2005)
Transportation Iraq
Airports: 110 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 77
over 3,047 m: 20
2,438 to 3,047 m: 37
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 6
under 914 m: 9 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 33
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 13
under 914 m: 10 (2006)
Heliports:
8 (2006)
Pipelines:
gas 2,228 km; liquid petroleum gas 918 km; oil 5,506 km; refined
products 1,637 km (2006)
Railways:
total: 2,200 km
standard gauge: 2,200 km 1.435-m gauge (2005)
Roadways:
total: 45,550 km
paved: 38,399 km
unpaved: 7,151 km (1999)
Waterways:
5,279 km
note: Euphrates River (2,815 km), Tigris River (1,899 km), and Third
River (565 km) are principal waterways (2004)
Merchant marine:
total: 13 ships (1000 GRT or over) 67,796 GRT/101,317 DWT
by type: cargo 11, petroleum tanker 2 (2006)
Ports and terminals:
Al Basrah, Khawr az Zubayr, Umm Qasr
Military Iraq
Military branches:
Iraqi Armed Forces: Iraqi Regular Army (includes Iraqi Special
Operations Force, Iraqi Intervention Force), Iraqi Navy (former
Iraqi Coastal Defense Force), Iraqi Air Force (former Iraqi Army Air
Corps) (2005)
Military service age and obligation: all volunteer force; the Iraqi Government is creating a new professional Iraqi military force of men aged 18 to 40 to defend Iraq from external threats and the current insurgency (2006)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 5,870,640
females age 18-49: 5,642,073 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 4,930,074
females age 18-49: 4,771,105 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 198,518
females age 18-49: 289,879 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$1.34 billion (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA
Transnational Issues Iraq
Disputes - international:
coalition forces assist Iraqis in monitoring boundary security;
Iraq's lack of a maritime boundary with Iran prompts jurisdiction
disputes beyond the mouth of the Shatt al Arab in the Persian Gulf;
Turkey has expressed concern over the status of Kurds in Iraq
Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees (country of origin): 22,711 (Palestinian Territories) IDPs: 1 million (ongoing US-led war and Kurds' subsequent return) (2005)
This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
@Ireland
Introduction Ireland
Background:
Celtic tribes arrived on the island between 600-150 B.C. Invasions
by Norsemen that began in the late 8th century were finally ended
when King Brian BORU defeated the Danes in 1014. English invasions
began in the 12th century and set off more than seven centuries of
Anglo-Irish struggle marked by fierce rebellions and harsh
repressions. A failed 1916 Easter Monday Rebellion touched off
several years of guerrilla warfare that in 1921 resulted in
independence from the UK for 26 southern counties; six northern
(Ulster) counties remained part of the UK. In 1948 Ireland withdrew
from the British Commonwealth; it joined the European Community in
1973. Irish governments have sought the peaceful unification of
Ireland and have cooperated with Britain against terrorist groups. A
peace settlement for Northern Ireland, known as the Good Friday
Agreement and approved in 1998, is being implemented with some
difficulties.
Geography Ireland
Location:
Western Europe, occupying five-sixths of the island of Ireland in
the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Great Britain
Geographic coordinates:
53 00 N, 8 00 W
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 70,280 sq km
land: 68,890 sq km
water: 1,390 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than West Virginia
Land boundaries: total: 360 km border countries: UK 360 km
Coastline: 1,448 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Climate:
temperate maritime; modified by North Atlantic Current; mild
winters, cool summers; consistently humid; overcast about half the
time
Terrain:
mostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged hills
and low mountains; sea cliffs on west coast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Carrauntoohil 1,041 m
Natural resources:
natural gas, peat, copper, lead, zinc, silver, barite, gypsum,
limestone, dolomite
Land use:
arable land: 16.82%
permanent crops: 0.03%
other: 83.15% (2005)
Irrigated land:
NA
Natural hazards:
NA
Environment - current issues:
water pollution, especially of lakes, from agricultural runoff
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Sulfur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,
Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note:
strategic location on major air and sea routes between North
America and northern Europe; over 40% of the population resides
within 100 km of Dublin
People Ireland
Population:
4,062,235 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 20.9% (male 437,903/female 409,774)
15-64 years: 67.6% (male 1,373,771/female 1,370,452)
65 years and over: 11.6% (male 207,859/female 262,476) (2006 est.)
Median age:
total: 34 years
male: 33.2 years
female: 34.8 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.15% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:
14.45 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:
7.82 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:
4.87 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 5.31 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.82 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.73 years
male: 75.11 years
female: 80.52 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.86 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
2,800 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 100 (2003 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Irishman(men), Irishwoman(women), Irish (collective plural)
adjective: Irish
Ethnic groups:
Celtic, English
Religions:
Roman Catholic 88.4%, Church of Ireland 3%, other Christian 1.6%,
other 1.5%, unspecified 2%, none 3.5% (2002 census)
Languages:
English (official) is the language generally used, Irish (official)
(Gaelic or Gaeilge) spoken mainly in areas located along the western
seaboard
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2003 est.)
Government Ireland
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Ireland local long form: none local short form: Eire
Government type:
republic, parliamentary democracy
Capital:
name: Dublin
geographic coordinates: 53 20 N, 6 15 W
time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
26 counties; Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Dublin, Galway,
Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Louth,
Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary,
Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford, Wicklow
note: Cavan, Donegal, and Monaghan are part of Ulster Province
Independence:
6 December 1921 (from UK by treaty)
National holiday:
Saint Patrick's Day, 17 March
Constitution:
adopted 1 July 1937 by plebiscite; effective 29 December 1937
Legal system:
based on English common law, substantially modified by indigenous
concepts; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Mary MCALEESE (since 11 November 1997)
head of government: Prime Minister Bertie AHERN (since 26 June 1997)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with previous nomination
by the prime minister and approval of the House of Representatives
elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held 31 October 1997
(next scheduled for October 2011); note - Mary MCALEESE appointed to
a second term when no other candidate qualified for the 2004
presidential election; prime minister (taoiseach) nominated by the
House of Representatives and appointed by the president
election results: Mary MCALEESE elected president; percent of vote -
Mary MCALEESE 44.8%, Mary BANOTTI 29.6%
note: government coalition - Fianna Fail and the Progressive
Democrats
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament or Oireachtas consists of the Senate or Seanad
Eireann (60 seats - 49 elected by the universities and from
candidates put forward by five vocational panels, 11 are nominated
by the prime minister; members serve five-year terms) and the House
of Representatives or Dail Eireann (166 seats; members are elected
by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve
five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 16 and 17 July 2002 (next to be held
by July 2007); House of Representatives - last held 17 May 2002
(next to be held by May 2007)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - Fianna Fail 30, Fine Gael 15, Labor Party 5, Progressive
Democrats 4, independents and other 6; House of Representatives -
percent of vote by party - Fianna Fail 41.5%, Fine Gael 22.5%, Labor
Party 10.8%, Sinn Fein 6.5%, Progressive Democrats 4.0%, Green Party
3.8%, other 10.9%; seats by party - Fianna Fail 81, Fine Gael 31,
Labor Party 21, Sinn Fein 5, Progressive Democrats 8, Green Party 6,
other 14
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges appointed by the president on the advice of
the prime minister and cabinet)
Political parties and leaders:
Fianna Fail [Bertie AHERN]; Fine Gael [Enda KENNY]; Green Party
[Trevor SARGENT]; Labor Party [Pat RABITTE]; Progressive Democrats
[Michael McDOWELL]; Sinn Fein [Gerry ADAMS]; Socialist Party [Joe
HIGGINS]; The Workers' Party [Sean GARLAND]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, MONUC,
NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNTSO, UPU,
WCO, WEU (observer), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Noel FAHEY
chancery: 2234 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: (202) 462-3939
FAX: (202) 232-5993
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, New York, San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas C. FOLEY
embassy: 42 Elgin Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: (1) 668-8777
FAX: (1) 668-9946
Flag description:
three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and
orange; similar to the flag of Cote d'Ivoire, which is shorter and
has the colors reversed - orange (hoist side), white, and green;
also similar to the flag of Italy, which is shorter and has colors
of green (hoist side), white, and red
Economy Ireland
Economy - overview:
Ireland is a small, modern, trade-dependent economy with growth
averaging a robust 7% in 1995-2004. Agriculture, once the most
important sector, is now dwarfed by industry and services. Industry
accounts for 46% of GDP, about 80% of exports, and 29% of the labor
force. Although exports remain the primary engine for Ireland's
growth, the economy has also benefited from a rise in consumer
spending, construction, and business investment. Per capita GDP is
10% above that of the four big European economies and the second
highest in the EU behind Luxembourg. Over the past decade, the Irish
Government has implemented a series of national economic programs
designed to curb price and wage inflation, reduce government
spending, increase labor force skills, and promote foreign
investment. Ireland joined in circulating the euro on 1 January 2002
along with 11 other EU nations.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$165.1 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$188.4 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
5.5% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$41,100 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 5% industry: 46% services: 49% (2002 est.)
Labor force: 2.03 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 8% industry: 29% services: 64% (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate:
4.3% (2005 est.)
Population below poverty line:
10% (1997 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 27.3% (1997)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
35.9 (1996)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.4% (2005 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
27% of GDP (2005 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $70.46 billion
expenditures: $69.4 billion; including capital expenditures of $5.5
billion (2005 est.)
Public debt:
26.7% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products:
turnips, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat; beef, dairy products
Industries:
steel, lead, zinc, silver, aluminum, barite, and gypsum mining
processing; food products, brewing, textiles, clothing; chemicals,
pharmaceuticals; machinery, rail transportation equipment, passenger
and commercial vehicles, ship construction and refurbishment; glass
and crystal; software, tourism
Industrial production growth rate:
3% (2005 est.)
Electricity - production:
23.41 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 95.9% hydro: 2.3% nuclear: 0% other: 1.7% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:
22.97 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports:
1.2 billion kWh (2003)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - consumption:
175,600 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports:
27,450 bbl/day (2001)
Oil - imports:
178,600 bbl/day (2001)
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2002)
Natural gas - production:
673 million cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
4.298 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
3.384 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
19.82 billion cu m (1 January 2002)
Current account balance:
$-3.833 billion (2005 est.)
Exports:
$102 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, computers, chemicals, pharmaceuticals;
live animals, animal products
Exports - partners:
US 18.7%, UK 17.4%, Belgium 15.2%, Germany 7.4%, France 6.4%,
Netherlands 4.8% (2005)
Imports:
$65.47 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities:
data processing equipment, other machinery and equipment,
chemicals, petroleum and petroleum products, textiles, clothing
Imports - partners:
UK 37%, US 13.8%, Germany 9.2%, Netherlands 4.5% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$869.3 million (2005 est.)
Debt - external:
$1.049 trillion (30 June 2005)
Economic aid - donor:
ODA, $607 million (2004)
Currency (code):
euro (EUR)
note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the
euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of
member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole
currency for everyday transactions within the member countries
Currency code:
EUR
Exchange rates:
euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003),
1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications Ireland
Telephones - main lines in use:
2.033 million (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
4.21 million (2005)
Telephone system:
general assessment: modern digital system using cable and microwave
radio relay
domestic: microwave radio relay
international: country code - 353; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 9, FM 106, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios:
2.55 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
4 (many low-power repeaters) (2001)
Televisions:
1.82 million (2001)
Internet country code:
.ie
Internet hosts:
238,191 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
22 (2000)
Internet users:
2.06 million (2005)
Transportation Ireland
Airports: 36 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 15 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 6 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 21 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 17 (2006)
Pipelines:
gas 1,728 km (2006)
Railways:
total: 3,312 km
broad gauge: 1,947 km 1.600-m gauge (46 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 1,365 km 0.914-m gauge (operated by the Irish Peat
Board to transport peat to power stations and briquetting plants)
(2005)
Roadways: total: 95,736 km paved: 95,736 km (including 125 km of expressways) (2002)
Waterways:
753 km (pleasure craft only) (2005)
Merchant marine:
total: 23 ships (1000 GRT or over) 103,589 GRT/145,044 DWT
by type: cargo 19, chemical tanker 2, container 1, roll on/roll off 1
foreign-owned: 4 (Germany 2, US 2)
registered in other countries: 21 (Bahamas 2, Bermuda 1, Cyprus 3,
Gibraltar 1, Netherlands 10, Panama 2, Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines 1, UK 1) (2006)
Ports and terminals:
Cork, Dublin, New Ross, Shannon Foynes, Waterford
Military Ireland
Military branches:
Irish Defense Forces (Oglaigh na h-Eireann): Army (includes Naval
Service and Air Corps) (2006)
Military service age and obligation:
17 years of age for voluntary military service; enlistees under the
age of 17 can be recruited for specialist positions (2001)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 17-49: 977,092
females age 17-49: 978,465 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 17-49: 814,768
females age 17-49: 813,981 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 29,327
females age 17-49: 28,139 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$700 million (FY00/01)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
0.9% (FY00/01)
Transnational Issues Ireland
Disputes - international:
Ireland, Iceland, and the UK dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe
Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for and consumer of hashish from North Africa
to the UK and Netherlands and of European-produced synthetic drugs;
minor transshipment point for heroin and cocaine destined for
Western Europe; despite recent legislation, narcotics-related money
laundering - using bureaux de change, trusts, and shell companies
involving the offshore financial community - remains a concern
This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
@Isle of Man
Introduction Isle of Man
Background:
Part of the Norwegian Kingdom of the Hebrides until the 13th
century when it was ceded to Scotland, the isle came under the
British crown in 1765. Current concerns include reviving the almost
extinct Manx Gaelic language. Isle of Man is a British crown
dependency, but is not part of the UK.
Geography Isle of Man
Location:
Western Europe, island in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and
Ireland
Geographic coordinates:
54 15 N, 4 30 W
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 572 sq km
land: 572 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly more than three times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
160 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm
Climate:
temperate; cool summers and mild winters; overcast about one-third
of the time
Terrain:
hills in north and south bisected by central valley
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Irish Sea 0 m highest point: Snaefell 621 m
Natural resources:
none
Land use:
arable land: 9%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 91% (permanent pastures, forests, mountain, and heathland)
(2002)
Irrigated land:
0 sq km
Natural hazards:
NA
Environment - current issues:
waste disposal (both household and industrial); transboundary air
pollution
Geography - note:
one small islet, the Calf of Man, lies to the southwest, and is a
bird sanctuary
People Isle of Man
Population:
75,441 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 17.3% (male 6,669/female 6,350)
15-64 years: 65.7% (male 24,884/female 24,678)
65 years and over: 17% (male 5,197/female 7,663) (2006 est.)
Median age:
total: 39.6 years
male: 38.4 years
female: 41 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.52% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:
11.05 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:
11.19 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:
5.3 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: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 5.82 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 6.8 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.49 years
male: 75.14 years
female: 82.02 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.65 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: Manxman (men), Manxwoman (women)
adjective: Manx
Ethnic groups:
Manx (Norse-Celtic descent), Briton
Religions:
Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Society
of Friends
Languages:
English, Manx Gaelic
Literacy: definition: NA total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%
Government Isle of Man
Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Isle of Man
Dependency status:
British crown dependency
Government type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
name: Douglas
geographic coordinates: 54 09 N, 4 28 W
time difference: UTC 0 (five hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last
Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
none; there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined
by the US Government, but there are 24 local authorities each with
its own elections
Independence:
none (British crown dependency)
National holiday:
Tynwald Day, 5 July
Constitution:
unwritten; note - The Isle of Man Constitution Act of 1961 does not
embody the unwritten Manx Constitution
Legal system:
English common law and Manx statute
Suffrage:
16 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Lord of Mann Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February
1952), represented by Lieutenant Governor Sir Paul K. HADDACKS
(since 17 October 2005)
head of government: Chief Minister Donald GELLING (since 14 December
2004)
cabinet: Council of Ministers
elections: the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed
by the monarch for a five-year term; the chief minister is elected
by the Tynwald; election last held 14 December 2004 (next to be held
December 2006)
election results: Donald GELLING elected chief minister by the
Tynwald; note - Richard CORKILL resigned 2 December 2004
Legislative branch:
bicameral Tynwald consists of the Legislative Council (an 11-member
body composed of the President of Tynwald, the Lord Bishop of Sodor
and Man, a nonvoting attorney general, and eight others named by the
House of Keys) and the House of Keys (24 seats; members are elected
by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Keys - last held 22 November 2001 (next to be
held November 2006)
election results: House of Keys - percent of vote by party - Man
Labor Party 17.3%, Alliance for Progressive Government 14.6%; seats
by party - Man Labor Party 2, Alliance for Progressive Government 3,
independents 19
Judicial branch:
High Court of Justice (justices are appointed by the Lord
Chancellor of England on the nomination of the lieutenant governor)
Political parties and leaders:
Alliance for Progressive Government; Man Labor Party; Man
Nationalist Party (branch of the British National Party)
note: most members sit as independents
Political pressure groups and leaders:
none
International organization participation:
UPU
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (British crown dependency)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (British crown dependency)
Flag description:
red with the Three Legs of Man emblem (Trinacria), in the center;
the three legs are joined at the thigh and bent at the knee; in
order to have the toes pointing clockwise on both sides of the flag,
a two-sided emblem is used
Economy Isle of Man
Economy - overview:
Offshore banking, manufacturing, and tourism are key sectors of the
economy. The government offers incentives to high-technology
companies and financial institutions to locate on the island; this
has paid off in expanding employment opportunities in high-income
industries. As a result, agriculture and fishing, once the mainstays
of the economy, have declined in their shares of GDP. Trade is
mostly with the UK. The Isle of Man enjoys free access to EU markets.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$2.113 billion (2003 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$2.26 billion
GDP - real growth rate:
6.3% NA%
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$27,800 (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1% industry: 13% services: 86% (2000 est.)
Labor force:
39,690 (2001)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture, forestry and fishing 3%, manufacturing 11%,
construction 10%, transport and communication 8%, wholesale and
retail distribution 11%, professional and scientific services 18%,
public administration 6%, banking and finance 18%, tourism 2%,
entertainment and catering 3%, miscellaneous services 10%
Unemployment rate:
0.6% (2004 est.)
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.7% (2003 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $485 million
expenditures: $463 million; including capital expenditures of $NA
(FY00/01 est.)
Agriculture - products:
cereals, vegetables; cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry
Industries:
financial services, light manufacturing, tourism
Industrial production growth rate:
3.2% (FY96/97)
Exports:
$NA
Exports - commodities:
tweeds, herring, processed shellfish, beef, lamb
Exports - partners:
UK (2004)
Imports:
$NA
Imports - commodities:
timber, fertilizers, fish
Imports - partners:
UK (2004)
Debt - external:
$NA
Economic aid - recipient:
$NA
Currency (code):
British pound (GBP); note - there is also a Manx pound
Currency code:
GBP
Exchange rates:
Manx pounds per US dollar - 0.55 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125
(2003), 0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001)
Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March
Communications Isle of Man
Telephones - main lines in use:
51,000 (1999)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
NA
Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: landline, telefax, mobile cellular telephone system
international: fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, satellite
earth station, submarine cable
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios:
NA
Television broadcast stations:
0 (receives broadcasts from the UK and satellite) (1999)
Televisions:
27,490 (1999)
Internet country code:
.im
Internet hosts:
290 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
NA
Internet users:
NA
Transportation Isle of Man
Airports: 1 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)
Railways:
total: 65 km
standard guage: 7 km 1.067-m guage (7 km electrified)
narrow guage: 58 km 0.914-m guage (29 km electrified)
note: primarily summer tourist attractions (2006)
Roadways:
total: 800 km
paved: 800 km (1999)
Merchant marine:
total: 305 ships (1000 GRT or over) 8,266,229 GRT/13,792,927 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 38, cargo 65, chemical tanker 53, container
16, liquefied gas 38, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 74,
refrigerated cargo 5, roll on/roll off 9, specialized tanker 1,
vehicle carrier 5
foreign-owned: 213 (Cyprus 1, Denmark 53, Estonia 2, France 2,
Germany 56, Greece 45, Italy 5, Japan 4, Monaco 3, Netherlands 1,
Norway 27, Singapore 7, Sweden 1, Turkey 3, US 3)
registered in other countries: 9 (Antigua and Barbuda 2, Liberia 5,
Marshall Islands 1, NZ 1) (2006)
Ports and terminals:
Castletown, Douglas, Ramsey
Military Isle of Man
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
Transnational Issues Isle of Man
Disputes - international: none
This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
@Israel
Introduction Israel
Background:
Following World War II, the British withdrew from their mandate of
Palestine, and the UN partitioned the area into Arab and Jewish
states, an arrangement rejected by the Arabs. Subsequently, the
Israelis defeated the Arabs in a series of wars without ending the
deep tensions between the two sides. The territories occupied by
Israel since the 1967 war are not included in the Israel country
profile, unless otherwise noted. On 25 April 1982, Israel withdrew
from the Sinai pursuant to the 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty.
Israel and Palestinian officials signed on 13 September 1993 a
Declaration of Principles (also known as the "Oslo Accords") guiding
an interim period of Palestinian self-rule. Outstanding territorial
and other disputes with Jordan were resolved in the 26 October 1994
Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace. In addition, on 25 May 2000, Israel
withdrew unilaterally from southern Lebanon, which it had occupied
since 1982. In keeping with the framework established at the Madrid
Conference in October 1991, bilateral negotiations were conducted
between Israel and Palestinian representatives and Syria to achieve
a permanent settlement. In April 2003, US President BUSH, working in
conjunction with the EU, UN, and Russia - the "Quartet" - took the
lead in laying out a roadmap to a final settlement of the conflict
by 2005, based on reciprocal steps by the two parties leading to two
states, Israel and a democratic Palestine. However, progress toward
a permanent status agreement was undermined by Palestinian-Israeli
violence between September 2000 and February 2005. An agreement
reached at Sharm al-Sheikh in February 2005 significantly reduced
the violence. The election in January 2005 of Mahmud ABBAS as the
new Palestinian leader following the November 2004 death of Yasir
ARAFAT, the formation of a Likud-Labor-United Torah Judaism
coalition government in January 2005, and the successful Israeli
disengagement from the Gaza Strip (August-September 2005), presented
an opportunity for a renewed peace effort. However, internal Israeli
political events between October and December 2005 have destabilized
the political situation and forced early elections, scheduled for
March 2006.
Geography Israel
Location:
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and
Lebanon
Geographic coordinates:
31 30 N, 34 45 E
Map references:
Middle East
Area:
total: 20,770 sq km
land: 20,330 sq km
water: 440 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries:
total: 1,017 km
border countries: Egypt 266 km, Gaza Strip 51 km, Jordan 238 km,
Lebanon 79 km, Syria 76 km, West Bank 307 km
Coastline:
273 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: to depth of exploitation
Climate:
temperate; hot and dry in southern and eastern desert areas
Terrain:
Negev desert in the south; low coastal plain; central mountains;
Jordan Rift Valley
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
highest point: Har Meron 1,208 m
Natural resources:
timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium
bromide, clays, sand
Land use: arable land: 15.45% permanent crops: 3.88% other: 80.67% (2005)
Irrigated land:
1,940 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:
sandstorms may occur during spring and summer; droughts; periodic
earthquakes
Environment - current issues:
limited arable land and natural fresh water resources pose serious
constraints; desertification; air pollution from industrial and
vehicle emissions; groundwater pollution from industrial and
domestic waste, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note:
there are 242 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in
the West Bank, 42 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, 0 in the
Gaza Strip, and 29 in East Jerusalem (August 2005 est.); Sea of
Galilee is an important freshwater source
People Israel
Population:
6,352,117
note: includes about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank,
about 20,000 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, and fewer than
177,000 in East Jerusalem (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 26.3% (male 855,054/female 815,619)
15-64 years: 63.9% (male 2,044,135/female 2,016,647)
65 years and over: 9.8% (male 266,671/female 353,991) (2006 est.)
Median age:
total: 29.6 years
male: 28.8 years
female: 30.5 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.18% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:
17.97 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:
6.18 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 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: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 6.89 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 7.61 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.46 years
male: 77.33 years
female: 81.7 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.41 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
3,000 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
100 (2001 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Israeli(s)
adjective: Israeli
Ethnic groups:
Jewish 76.4% (of which Israel-born 67.1%, Europe/America-born
22.6%, Africa-born 5.9%, Asia-born 4.2%), non-Jewish 23.6% (mostly
Arab) (2004)
Religions:
Jewish 76.4%, Muslim 16%, Arab Christians 1.7%, other Christian
0.4%, Druze 1.6%, unspecified 3.9% (2004)
Languages:
Hebrew (official), Arabic used officially for Arab minority,
English most commonly used foreign language
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95.4%
male: 97.3%
female: 93.6% (2003 est.)
Government Israel
Country name:
conventional long form: State of Israel
conventional short form: Israel
local long form: Medinat Yisra'el
local short form: Yisra'el
Government type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
name: Jerusalem; note - Israel proclaimed Jerusalem as its capital
in 1950, but the US, like nearly all other countries, maintains its
Embassy in Tel Aviv
geographic coordinates: 32 05 N, 34 48 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Friday in March; ends the
Sunday between the holidays of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur
Administrative divisions:
6 districts (mehozot, singular - mehoz); Central, Haifa, Jerusalem,
Northern, Southern, Tel Aviv
Independence:
14 May 1948 (from League of Nations mandate under British
administration)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 14 May (1948); note - Israel declared
independence on 14 May 1948, but the Jewish calendar is lunar and
the holiday may occur in April or May
Constitution:
no formal constitution; some of the functions of a constitution are
filled by the Declaration of Establishment (1948), the Basic Laws of
the parliament (Knesset), and the Israeli citizenship law
Legal system:
mixture of English common law, British Mandate regulations, and, in
personal matters, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim legal systems; in
December 1985, Israel informed the UN Secretariat that it would no
longer accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Moshe KATZAV (since 31 July 2000)
head of government: Prime Minister Ehud OLMERT (since May 2006);
Deputy Prime Minister Tzipora "Tzipi" LIVNI (since May 2006)
cabinet: Cabinet selected by prime minister and approved by the
Knesset
elections: president is largely a ceremonial role and is elected by
the Knesset for a seven-year term (no term limits); election last
held 31 July 2000 (next to be held mid-2007); following legislative
elections, the president assigns a Knesset member - traditionally
the leader of the largest party - the task of forming a governing
coalition
election results: Moshe KATZAV elected president by the 120-member
Knesset with a total of 60 votes, other candidate, Shimon PERES,
received 57 votes (there were three abstentions); Ariel SHARON
continued as prime minister after Likud Party victory in January
2003 Knesset elections; Likud won 38 seats and then formed coalition
government with Shinui, the National Religious Party, and the
National Union; controversy surrounding SHARON's disengagement plan
ultimately led to the formation of a Likud-Labor-United Torah
Judaism (UTJ) coalition government in January 2005
Legislative branch:
unicameral Knesset (120 seats; members elected by popular vote to
serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 29 March 2006 (next scheduled to be held in
2010)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
Kadima 29, Labor 19, Likud 12, SHAS 12, Yisrael Beiteinu 11, NU/NRP
9, GIL 7, Torah and Shabbat Judaism 6, Meretz-YAHAD 5, United Arab
List 4, Balad 3, HADASH 3
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (justices appointed by Judicial Selection Committee -
made up of all three branches of the government; mandatory
retirement age is 70)
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (HADASH) [Muhammad BARAKA];
GIL (Pensioners) [Rafael EITAN]; Kadima [Ehud OLMERT]; Labor Party
[Amir PERETZ]; Likud Party [Binyamin NETANYAHU]; Meretz-YAHAD [Yossi
BEILIN]; National Democratic Assembly (Balad) [Azmi BISHARA];
National Union (NU)/National Religious Party (NRP) [Binyamin ELON];
SHAS [Eliyahu YISHAI]; Torah and Shabbat Judaism [Yaakov LITZMAN];
United Arab List [Ibrahim SARSOUR]; Yisrael Beiteinu [Avigdor
LIEBERMAN]; Yisrael Ba'Aliya (merged with Likud)
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Israeli nationalists advocating Jewish settlement on the West Bank
and Gaza Strip; Peace Now supports territorial concessions in the
West Bank and Gaza Strip; Yesha (settler) Council promotes settler
interests and opposes territorial compromise; B'Tselem monitors
human rights abuses
International organization participation:
BIS, BSEC (observer), CERN (observer), EBRD, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, OAS (observer), OPCW (signatory),
OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCO,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Salai MERIDOR chancery: 3514 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 364-5500 FAX: (202) 364-5607 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Richard H. JONES embassy: 71 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv 63903 mailing address: PSC 98, Box 29, APO AE 09830 telephone: (3) 519-7575 FAX: (3) 516-4390 consulate(s) general: Jerusalem; note - an independent US mission, established in 1928, whose members are not accredited to a foreign government
Flag description:
white with a blue hexagram (six-pointed linear star) known as the
Magen David (Shield of David) centered between two equal horizontal
blue bands near the top and bottom edges of the flag
Economy Israel
Economy - overview:
Israel has a technologically advanced market economy with
substantial government participation. It depends on imports of crude
oil, grains, raw materials, and military equipment. Despite limited
natural resources, Israel has intensively developed its agricultural
and industrial sectors over the past 20 years. Israel imports
substantial quantities of grain, but is largely self-sufficient in
other agricultural products. Cut diamonds, high-technology
equipment, and agricultural products (fruits and vegetables) are the
leading exports. Israel usually posts sizable current account
deficits, which are covered by large transfer payments from abroad
and by foreign loans. Roughly half of the government's external debt
is owed to the US, which is its major source of economic and
military aid. The bitter Israeli-Palestinian conflict; difficulties
in the high-technology, construction, and tourist sectors; and
fiscal austerity in the face of growing inflation led to small
declines in GDP in 2001 and 2002. The economy rebounded in 2003 and
2004, growing at a 4% rate each year, as the government tightened
fiscal policy and implemented structural reforms to boost
competition and efficiency in the markets. In 2005, rising consumer
confidence, tourism, and foreign direct investment - as well as
higher demand for Israeli exports - boosted GDP by 4.7%.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$156.9 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$114.3 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
5.2% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$25,000 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 2.6% industry: 31.7% services: 65.7% (2003 est.)
Labor force: 2.42 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture, forestry, and fishing 2.6%, manufacturing 20.2%, construction 7.5%, commerce 12.8%, transport, storage, and communications 6.2%, finance and business 13.1%, personal and other services 6.4%, public services 31.2% (1996)
Unemployment rate:
9% (2005 est.)
Population below poverty line:
21% (2005)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.4% highest 10%: 28.3% (1997)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
34 (2005)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.3% (2005 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
17.5% of GDP (2005 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $43.82 billion
expenditures: $58.04 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA
(2005 est.)
Public debt:
99.7% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products:
citrus, vegetables, cotton; beef, poultry, dairy products
Industries:
high-technology projects (including aviation, communications,
computer-aided design and manufactures, medical electronics, fiber
optics), wood and paper products, potash and phosphates, food,
beverages, and tobacco, caustic soda, cement, construction, metals
products, chemical products, plastics, diamond cutting, textiles,
footwear
Industrial production growth rate:
2.8% (2005 est.)
Electricity - production:
44.24 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 99.9% hydro: 0.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:
39.67 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports:
1.47 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2003)
Oil - production:
2,740 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - consumption:
270,100 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports:
NA bbl/day
Oil - imports:
NA bbl/day
Oil - proved reserves:
1.92 million bbl (1 January 2002)
Natural gas - production:
200 million cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
200 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:
38.94 billion cu m (1 January 2002)
Current account balance:
$2.385 billion (2005 est.)
Exports:
$40.14 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, software, cut diamonds, agricultural
products, chemicals, textiles and apparel
Exports - partners:
US 36.5%, Belgium 8.7%, Hong Kong 5.6% (2005)
Imports:
$43.19 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities:
raw materials, military equipment, investment goods, rough
diamonds, fuels, grain, consumer goods
Imports - partners:
US 13.4%, Belgium 10.1%, Germany 6.4%, UK 5.7%, Switzerland 5.5%,
China 4.2% (2005)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$28.06 billion (2005 est.)
Debt - external:
$75.55 billion (2005 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
$662 million from US (2003 est.)
Currency (code):
new Israeli shekel (ILS); note - NIS is the currency abbreviation;
ILS is the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) code
for the NIS
Currency code:
ILS
Exchange rates:
new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.4877 (2005), 4.482 (2004),
4.5541 (2003), 4.7378 (2002), 4.2057 (2001)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications Israel
Telephones - main lines in use:
2,936,300 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
7.757 million (2005)
Telephone system:
general assessment: most highly developed system in the Middle East
although not the largest
domestic: good system of coaxial cable and microwave radio relay;
all systems are digital
international: country code - 972; 3 submarine cables; satellite
earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 23, FM 15, shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios:
3.07 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
17 (plus 36 low-power repeaters) (1995)
Televisions:
1.69 million (1997)
Internet country code:
.il
Internet hosts:
1,251,881 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
21 (2000)
Internet users:
3.7 million (2006)
Transportation Israel
Airports: 53 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 30 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 6 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 23 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 20 (2006)
Heliports:
3 (2006)
Pipelines:
gas 193 km; oil 442 km; refined products 261 km (2006)
Railways:
total: 853 km
standard gauge: 853 km 1.435-m gauge (2005)
Roadways:
total: 17,364 km
paved: 17,364 km (including 126 km of expressways) (2004)
Merchant marine:
total: 18 ships (1000 GRT or over) 716,382 GRT/845,053 DWT
by type: cargo 2, container 16
registered in other countries: 51 (Bahamas 1, Bermuda 3, Cyprus 3,
Honduras 1, Liberia 5, Malta 23, Panama 6, Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines 2, Slovakia 7) (2006)
Ports and terminals:
Ashdod, Elat (Eilat), Hadera, Haifa
Military Israel
Military branches:
Israel Defense Forces (IDF): Army Headquarters, Israel Navy,
Israeli Air and Space Force (ISAF, includes air defense forces);
historically there have been no separate Israeli military services
(2005)
Military service age and obligation:
17 years of age for compulsory (Jews, Druzes) and voluntary
(Christians, Muslims, Circassians) military service; both sexes are
eligible for military service; conscript service obligation - 36
months for men, 21 months for women (2004)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 17-49: 1,492,125
females age 17-49: 1,443,916 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 17-49: 1,255,902
females age 17-49: 1,212,394 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 18-49: 53,760
females: 51,293 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$9.45 billion (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
7.7% (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues Israel
Disputes - international:
West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status
subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent
status to be determined through further negotiation; Israel
continues construction of a "seam line" separation barrier along
parts of the Green Line and within the West Bank; Israel withdrew
its settlers and military from the Gaza Strip and from four
settlements in the West Bank in August 2005; Golan Heights is
Israeli-occupied (Lebanon claims the Shab'a Farms area of Golan
Heights); since 1948, about 350 peacekeepers from the UN Truce
Supervision Organization (UNTSO) headquartered in Jerusalem monitor
ceasefires, supervise armistice agreements, prevent isolated
incidents from escalating, and assist other UN personnel in the
region
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: 276,000 (Arab villagers displaced from homes in northern
Israel) (2005)
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Israel is a destination country for low-skilled
workers from Eastern Europe and Asia who migrate voluntarily for
contract labor in the construction, agriculture, and health care
industries, some of whom are subsequently subjected to conditions of
involuntary servitude; many labor recruitment agencies in source
countries and in Israel require workers to pay large up-front fees
that often lead to debt bondage and vulnerability to forced labor;
Israel is also a destination country for women trafficked from
Eastern Europe for the purpose of sexual exploitation
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Israel is placed on the Tier 2
Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts
to address trafficking, namely the conditions of involuntary
servitude allegedly facing thousands of foreign migrant workers
Illicit drugs:
increasingly concerned about cocaine and heroin abuse; drugs arrive
in country from Lebanon and, increasingly, from Jordan;
money-laundering center
This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
@Italy
Introduction Italy
Background:
Italy became a nation-state in 1861 when the regional states of the
peninsula, along with Sardinia and Sicily, were united under King
Victor EMMANUEL II. An era of parliamentary government came to a
close in the early 1920s when Benito MUSSOLINI established a Fascist
dictatorship. His disastrous alliance with Nazi Germany led to
Italy's defeat in World War II. A democratic republic replaced the
monarchy in 1946 and economic revival followed. Italy was a charter
member of NATO and the European Economic Community (EEC). It has
been at the forefront of European economic and political
unification, joining the Economic and Monetary Union in 1999.
Persistent problems include illegal immigration, organized crime,
corruption, high unemployment, sluggish economic growth, and the low
incomes and technical standards of southern Italy compared with the
prosperous north.
Geography Italy
Location:
Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central
Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia
Geographic coordinates:
42 50 N, 12 50 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 301,230 sq km
land: 294,020 sq km
water: 7,210 sq km
note: includes Sardinia and Sicily
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Arizona
Land boundaries:
total: 1,932.2 km
border countries: Austria 430 km, France 488 km, Holy See (Vatican
City) 3.2 km, San Marino 39 km, Slovenia 232 km, Switzerland 740 km
Coastline:
7,600 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:
predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry in south
Terrain:
mostly rugged and mountainous; some plains, coastal lowlands
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mont Blanc (Monte Bianco) de Courmayeur 4,748 m (a
secondary peak of Mont Blanc)
Natural resources:
coal, mercury, zinc, potash, marble, barite, asbestos, pumice,
fluorospar, feldspar, pyrite (sulfur), natural gas and crude oil
reserves, fish, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 26.41%
permanent crops: 9.09%
other: 64.5% (2005)
Irrigated land:
27,500 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:
regional risks include landslides, mudflows, avalanches,
earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flooding; land subsidence in Venice
Environment - current issues: air pollution from industrial emissions such as sulfur dioxide; coastal and inland rivers polluted from industrial and agricultural effluents; acid rain damaging lakes; inadequate industrial waste treatment and disposal facilities
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile
Organic Compounds, 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, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94,
Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants
Geography - note:
strategic location dominating central Mediterranean as well as
southern sea and air approaches to Western Europe
People Italy
Population:
58,133,509 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 13.8% (male 4,147,149/female 3,899,980)
15-64 years: 66.5% (male 19,530,512/female 19,105,841)
65 years and over: 19.7% (male 4,771,858/female 6,678,169) (2006
est.)
Median age: total: 42.2 years male: 40.7 years female: 43.7 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.04% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:
8.72 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate:
10.4 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate:
2.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 5.83 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 6.42 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.81 years
male: 76.88 years
female: 82.94 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.28 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.5% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
140,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 1,000 (2003 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Italian(s)
adjective: Italian
Ethnic groups:
Italian (includes small clusters of German-, French-, and
Slovene-Italians in the north and Albanian-Italians and
Greek-Italians in the south)
Religions:
approximately 90% Roman Catholic (about one-third regularly attend
services); mature Protestant and Jewish communities and a growing
Muslim immigrant community
Languages:
Italian (official), German (parts of Trentino-Alto Adige region are
predominantly German speaking), French (small French-speaking
minority in Valle d'Aosta region), Slovene (Slovene-speaking
minority in the Trieste-Gorizia area)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.6%
male: 99%
female: 98.3% (2003 est.)
Government Italy
Country name:
conventional long form: Italian Republic
conventional short form: Italy
local long form: Repubblica Italiana
local short form: Italia
former: Kingdom of Italy
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Rome
geographic coordinates: 41 54 N, 12 29 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:
15 regions (regioni, singular - regione) and 5 autonomous regions*
(regioni autonome, singular - regione autonoma); Abruzzo,
Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia
Giulia*, Lazio, Liguria, Lombardia, Marche, Molise, Piemonte,
Puglia, Sardegna*, Sicilia*, Toscana, Trentino-Alto Adige*, Umbria,
Valle d'Aosta*, Veneto
Independence:
17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed; Italy was not finally
unified until 1870)
National holiday:
Republic Day, 2 June (1946)
Constitution:
passed 11 December 1947, effective 1 January 1948; amended many
times
Legal system:
based on civil law system; appeals treated as new trials; judicial
review under certain conditions in Constitutional Court; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal (except in senatorial elections, where
minimum age is 25)
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Giorgio NAPOLITANO (since 15 May 2006)
head of government: Prime Minister (referred to in Italy as the
president of the Council of Ministers) Romano PRODI (since 17 May
2006)
cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and
approved by the president
elections: president elected by an electoral college consisting of
both houses of parliament and 58 regional representatives for a
seven-year term (no term limits); election last held 10 May 2006
(next to be held May 2013); prime minister appointed by the
president and confirmed by parliament
election results: Giorgio NAPOLITANO elected president on the fourth
round of voting; electoral college vote - 543